Water plant connectivity with IoT gateways & uninterruptible power supply

Highlights

✔ Remote water pumping systems are vulnerable to water losses, equipment damage, and service disruption. These risks increase when monitoring and control are affected by distance, power outages, or connectivity issues.

✔ AXIMA, spol. s r. o. developed an automated water plant control solution that ensures safe pump operation and continuous supervision between a remote pump station and the main water treatment facility.

✔ Teltonika’s TRB246 and TRB141 IoT gateways, supported by BAT120 uninterruptible power supply, deliver reliable cellular connectivity, SMS communication, and protection for critical water infrastructure.

✔ Remote Management System (RMS) enables remote monitoring, centralized management, and simplified long-term maintenance, reducing operational effort and site visits.

Maintaining continuous operation of remote water pumping infrastructure

Water supply systems are a critical part of public infrastructure, requiring continuous and reliable operation to ensure uninterrupted service for end consumers. Pumping stations and reservoirs must be monitored and controlled at all times to prevent overflow, water loss, and equipment damage. Even short periods of uncontrolled operation can lead to costly failures and service disruptions.

Industry estimates indicate that around 30–35% of treated water worldwide never reaches consumers, largely due to losses within distribution networks. These figures highlight how insufficient monitoring and control of pumping and reservoir systems can quickly translate into large-scale waste and increased operational costs.

Remote pumping installations add another layer of complexity. Limited physical access, dependence on mobile connectivity, and the risk of power outages make it difficult to maintain continuous visibility and timely response.

In such conditions, loss of communication or delayed intervention can leave pumps operating beyond safe limits, accelerating mechanical wear, increasing energy consumption, and raising the risk of infrastructure damage.

AXIMA, spol. s r. o., a Czech industrial automation and engineering company, specializes in the design and implementation of control systems for critical infrastructure, including water management applications. With extensive experience in automation, monitoring, and system integration, they focus on delivering solutions that ensure safe, efficient, and resilient operation even in remote and demanding environments.

Topology

Robust IoT connectivity for remote water infrastructure monitoring and control

Our partner deployed a reliable water management solution using two Teltonika IoT gateways and uninterruptible power supply.

At the main water treatment station, a TRB246 IoT gateway is connected via Ethernet to the local PLC, serving as the central communication unit for the automation system. The PLC, equipped with an I/O C0-16ND3 module, processes signals from field devices installed in the water reservoir, most importantly, a floating level switch that detects when the tank reaches its maximum.

Based on these inputs, the PLC controls the pumping process to prevent overflow and maintain a stable water supply. Operational data, alarms, and system status are transmitted through the TRB246 network gateway, providing continuous visibility of reservoir levels and system operation.

Local supervision and manual control are provided through an HMI connected directly to the PLC, enabling operators to monitor tank levels, pump status, and alarms, and to intervene when required. Additional system information is displayed on an LCD screen at the main station.

Water is transported from the pump station to the reservoir through a dedicated water pipe, while a discharge pipe and an outgoing pipeline distribute water further to end consumers. The water pump, located at a separate pump station approximately 500 meters from the main facility, is responsible for transferring water through this pipeline network.

Both the TRB246 and TRB141 IoT gateways are equipped with SIM cards that support sending and receiving SMS commands, ensuring reliable control. The TRB141 LTE gateway, installed at the pump station, exchanges SMS messages directly with the TRB246 IoT gateway at the main station, enabling dependable communication between the pump and the central control system.

Additional protection is provided by autonomous logic implemented directly on the TRB141 network gateway. A custom script automatically disconnects the pump after a predefined maximum pumping time if communication is lost, preventing equipment damage and unsafe operation.

System reliability is further enhanced by BAT120 uninterruptible power supply devices, connected to both TRB246 at the main station and TRB141 at the pump station. Battery-backed power keeps communication equipment operational during power outages, allowing alarms and status notifications to be transmitted without interruption.

Lastly, remote access, configuration, and long-term system management are handled via Teltonika’s Remote Management System (RMS). It allows for remote monitoring and centralized management of both gateways while ensuring full visibility and long-term reliability of the deployed infrastructure.