Design and Construction of Internet of Thing Based Water Level Monitoring and Control System

The conventional method of water level monitoring and pumping system in most homes and establishments in Nigeria is largely manual. In this method tank empty condition is only detected when the water taps run dry. Also Tank full condition is only detected when water begins pouring out from the top of the tank during water pumping. Turning on or off of the water pump requires manual operation at all times. In a case where the manual operator is not close enough to notice the water full or empty condition, losses are incurred. This conventional method is therefore characterised by waste of both energy and water which translates into huge financial losses and social inconveniences. To solve these challenges, this project proposed an Internet of Things (IoT) based water level monitoring and control system to be deployed in homes and places where regular and efficient water supply systems are needed. The system was developed using the embedded system design approach in combination with the IoT technology. The system has five key units namely: the water level sensing unit, the microcontroller unit, the water pump switching unit, the alert/display unit and the Blynk app. The water level sensing unit was designed to work with the HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensor module which uses the principle of echo to accurately determine the water level. A Wi-Fi enabled microcontroller (ESP32) was programmed to process the sensor data (water level) received from the ultrasonic sensor module and uses the information to control the water pump switching unit. The microcontroller also outputs the status of the water level on the display unit and alerts the user whenever the pre-set conditions (tank full or low water level) are reached. The microcontroller simultaneously sends the same displayed output to the user’s remote device via the internet which can be viewed in real-time from any location in the world using the Blynk app installed on the device. The program code for the system was developed using the Arduino Integrated Development Environment. The prototype of the system was built and tested. The test results showed that all subunits of the system worked with 100% precision. Thus, it was concluded that the IoT based water level monitoring and control system was successfully designed and implemented. The system is recommended for use in homes, offices, factories and industries where efficient and regular water supply is desired. This will ensure huge savings due to elimination of the wastages usually incurred by manned operation, overflow of excess water and high energy bills.