RiverWatch technology providing open water quality data

RiverWatch technology providing open water quality data

Water Action Initiative (WAI) NZ wainz.org.nz has been working to protect New Zealand's rivers, lakes and streams since 2012. New Zealand's biggest problem apart from the obvious degradation of water quality, is the sparse data that is currently being collected. Only 8-10% of our rivers, lakes and streams have any water quality data available. This is because current data collection technology is expensive and time consuming.

Without a solid framework of data it is impossible to undertake meaningful restoration, especially when we don't know how bad the problem is, to start with, or have clear scientific data about what we are doing to fix the problem.

It is essential that New Zealand undertakes a nationwide data collection project that will enable regional and city councils, farmers, and communities to properly address water quality issues that are occurring in their catchments.

WAI NZ has been working on a solution to this and is about to launch the RiverWatch.

http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2017/04/award-winning-sensor-will-give-farmers-power-to-save-rivers.html

How can we, as New Zealanders have swimmable freshwater? WAI NZ has developed an innovative piece of technology - the RiverWatch. A water tester that tests water quality 24/7 and sends the results GPS tagged to the WAI NZ open access website.

The multi-parameter and modular water tester reads Nitrates, Phosphates, Dissolved Oxygen, pH, Temperature, Conductivity and Turbidity. It is very cost-effective and made in New Zealand for our conditions. RiverWatch incorporates advanced communications technology and software, enabling the user to maximize data collection and dissemination.

RiverWatch is the winner of the WWF 2016 Conservation Innovation Award and a finalist of the 2017 Wellington Gold Awards.

WAI NZ is about to launch a crowd funding campaign to raise the money to get RiverWatch into production so that all New Zealanders can find out what is really going on in their waterways riverwatch.nz Also check them out on Facebook.

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