Mounting Issues
A water source could be tainted for a variety of reasons, including stormwater runoff, an imbalance of nutrients or poor infrastructure management. Eric Sokol, a public involvement specialist at Burns & McDonnell, says implementing smart technology in the Lake Erie region is key to solving water concerns.
“Each basin of Lake Erie has a variety of water quality concerns to monitor,” Sokol says.
The western basin mainly deals with a surplus of nitrogen and phosphorus, leading to harmful algal blooms, while the central basin sees water contamination from combined sewer overflows. The eastern basin is monitored for the presence of heavy metals that could taint water quality.
Water quality in Lake Erie is maintained through the various technologies already implemented. Smart buoys monitor water conditions to identify the underlying issues that are diminishing the lake’s water quality.
Smart Buoys
Buoys collect data through sensors and webcams to efficiently check conditions and communicate the health of a body of water.
Real-Time Data
Data transmitted from the smart buoys is processed and analyzed to monitor conditions that might lead to potential water issues.
Community
Any impending water concerns are then communicated to the public or appropriate organizations, creating safer and more efficient water systems.
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