HydraSpectra – contactless water quality monitoring

HydraSpectra is a low-cost optical system for field-deployed water quality monitoring of water bodies based on spectral reflectance developed by the CSIRO.

HydraSpectra sensors capture data that can be used to estimate chlorophyll, CDOM and TSS concentrations with accuracy similar to other research spectroscopic systems.

It uses the Senaps framework to acquire raw images from the sensors, run image processing analytics on these images and pull various intensity spectra vectors, applying in-house developed algorithms in a workflow to convert those intensity spectra into a calibrated reflectance spectra.

As a final stage of the workflows, applying algorithms from the scientific literature to convert those spectra to quantities of interest to their customers.

In Australia, algal blooms result in significant costs to affected communities, and managers struggle to adequately monitor their jurisdictions.

HydraSpectra is being used to provide an algal bloom early warning tool for the NSW Department of Primary Industries Water exploiting remote sensing to complement in-situ monitoring programs. This allows a state-wide overview of potential bloom issues as well as exploration of individual water body dynamics.

In addition, the sensors and Senaps provide a continuously monitored, low maintenance, sensor network affording early warning of developing bloom and other water quality problems.

This work is continuing as part of CSIRO’s AquaWatch initiative.