Electricity and Control May 2026

Plant maintenance, test + measurement: Products + services

Monitoring groundwater levels using LoRaWan technology

The system delivers: - Accurate, validated measurement data through high-quality sensors - Seamless integration into the existing LoRaWAN network - Real-time visibility of groundwater levels across all monitoring points. Beyond basic measurements, the solution also captures critical diagnostic data, including battery voltage (amount of electrical energy remaining), temperature (internal system heat), humidity (moisture in the air around the system), and signal quality (strength and clarity of data transmission). This information provides early warnings for maintenance and helps ensure long-term reliability. Built for reliability and eiciency The ADT1 LoRa unit was designed with practicality in mind. Using standard AA batteries with a lifespan of up to five years, the system minimises maintenance requirements and supports continuous operation. Data security was another key consideration. With encrypted LoRa (Long Range) communication, which transmits data wirelessly over long distances, and an integrated data logger, the system ensures that no critical data is lost, even during transmission interruptions. Proven performance Since its implementation, the automated groundwater monitoring system has been running reliably for over three years. What was once a labour-intensive and limiting process is now managed with a smart, scalable, and eicient solution, supporting better decision-making and long-term environmental compliance. KELLER’s equipment manufacturing team develops solutions tailored to its production department’s requirements and meets its high internal standards of quality and precision. This has enabled the company to improve its products, process stability and eiciency continually over the past 50 years. KELLER is represented in South Africa by Instrotech.

Left: Keller Data Logger ADT1.Right: Keller groundwater measuring installation. Monitoring groundwater levels across large industrial sites is critical – but for German company Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH , it became increasingly diicult to manage. With an extensive works area and surrounding landfill sites requiring constant observation, groundwater levels were traditionally measured manually. This process was time- consuming and labour-intensive, and limited in scalability. As the number of required measuring points grew, the existing approach could no longer be sustained. This presented a clear need for a more eicient, reliable, and future-ready solution. A smarter, scalable solution To address this challenge, Salzgitter Digital Solutions GmbH was tasked with developing a fully automated and digital monitoring system using LoRaWAN technology. LoRaWAN (Long Range Wide Area Network) is a wireless communication protocol designed for long-distance, low-power data transmission, which makes it ideal for industrial monitoring. In collaboration with KELLER Pressure, a solution was implemented using high-precision water level probes and the ADT1 LoRa transmission unit, which sends measurement data wirelessly over the LoRaWAN network. This setup enabled continuous, wireless groundwater monitoring across multiple sites.

For more information visit: www.instrotech.co.za

Measuring sites of the groundwater level on the extensive works premises and surrounding landfills.

MAY 2026 Electricity + Control

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