Wireless Well Monitoring System

Industry: Water/Wastewater Treatment
Product: Zlinx® Wireless Modbus I/O

The Challenge

A tank farm in Arizona provides water for rural homes in a remote neighborhood located away from city limits. Increasing demand, aging components, and desert temperatures exceeding 100+ degrees were putting a strain on motors, which caused fuses to blow or breakers to open. The well site is located ¼ mile from the homes it serves and any failure caused multiple visits to the tank farm by maintenance staff. This caused unnecessary delays and frustration. The tank farm needed a reliable way to monitor all spects of the well system to ensure water delivery.

The system includes a 15,000 gallon holding tank, a 1,000 gallon pressure tank, a well pump, and a pressure pump. A control panel mounted on the holding tank distributes power to the pumps, and the controls turn the pumps on and off as needed to fill the tank and pressurize the pressure tank. The large holding tank provides reserve capacity, but this also masks problems. It can take as long as two days for the tank to drain and the water to stop flowing.

The Solution

Wireless monitoring was a natural and cost effective solution. Working with the well system owner, B&B technicians and engineers developed a remote monitoring system using a Zlinx® wireless I/O and a Radio Modem. The system monitors water inventory and level of the well system; the pump status; and the water delivery pressure.

A level sensor was mounted on the holding tank, which also required running conduit to install the wiring. A current sensor measures current drawn from the well and pressure pumps to monitor pump status. A pressure sensor took the place of the old pressure gauge. A modbus ready HMI was used to display the data, giving a user the ability to glance at a monitoring panel in the comfort of a home or office to view the holding tank level, see if the pumps are on or off, how much current was being drawn, and look at how much pressure was in the pressure tank. They now have a reliable way to monitor all aspects of the well system and be warned of any trouble before it becomes catastrophic.

Why B&B Electronics?

• Zlinx® wireless monitoring eliminates the cost of running wires and is much easier to install.
• The radios are license-free and there are no maintenance charges.
• The Zlinx® wireless network has advanced AES 128 or 256 bit secure encryption.
• Modbus connectivity offers easy monitoring and reset faults without visiting the tank farm,
  saving trips and delays.
• B&B Electronic’s technical support and solution assistance is always free.

The Product

Zlinx® Model ZZ9D-NA-LR - Wireless Modbus I/O
Zlinx® Model ZP9D-115RM-LR - Modbus Radio Modem

• Wide temperature range: -40 to 85°C
• AES advanced encryption
• Modbus connectivity
• Easy plug-and-play installation
• Versatile power 10 to 40 VDC or 24 VAC