Indian startup WEGoT hopes to accelerate the adoption of its IoT-based ultrasonic sensors and other technology solutions for real-time water management by partnering with Kerlink, a provider of LoRaWAN IoT networks.
With this latest partnership, the two companies will combine WEGoT’s ultrasonic water meters and cloud application in LoRaWAN networks with Kerlink’s carrier-grade outdoor Wirnet iStations and industrial-grade Wirnet iFemtocell indoor gateways, which receive sensor-generated data and transfer it to building and facility managers.
This move will allow water utility companies in India, such as water-delivery companies and water- and sewage-treatment plants to get a real-time picture of operations and make informed decisions for preventive maintenance.
With a population of more than 1.3 billion, India faces ongoing challenges providing adequate water for residential and industrial consumption. NITI Aayog, a public-policy think tank of the Indian government, predicts that only half of the demand for the country’s water supply will be met by 2030.
To help address the water shortage problem, WEGoT developed its Aqua IoT-based solution to monitor water-supply systems by tracking detailed consumption data via its highly accurate, ultrasonic sensors that measure water flow, pressure, and quality, and transmit the data to property managers’ dashboards and smartphones in real time. The solution is targeted for facilities ranging from hotels, hospitals and factories to high-rise residential buildings.
The system consistently has enabled users, such as large residential communities, to reduce their water consumption by 40% to 50%, bringing a 40% reduction in water-related costs. Property owners typically achieve an ROI within 12 months of installing the system. In addition to monitoring consumption, the WEGoT Aqua solution also sends water-leak alerts to users’ mobile apps, which can be used to stop the supply of water to the source of the leak.
“WEGoT’s Aqua solution is an innovative, necessary tool for reducing water consumption – and waste – supported by a customer-friendly business model that provides users with details of their use, and encourages them to take their own steps to manage consumption and create an sustainable living,” said Girish Dadheech, vice president of Kerlink India. “The market for this timely solution delivered in LoRaWAN customised private networks is large.”
According to Vijay Krishna, WEGoT’s vice president for networks, the company’s latest partnership with Kerlink seamlessly dovetails with their plan to expand and accelerate the deployment of the Aqua solution.
“Kerlink equipment is being used in diverse Indian LoRaWAN networks and has proven to be robust and reliable under any conditions. Because of this, the company understands how to do business in India, which helps make our system rollouts for customers simple and quick,” Krishna said.
To date, WEGoT estimates that its systems now installed in more than 30,000 homes and 40 million square feet of commercial space have save more than three billion litres of water, since the company started in 2015.
With its partnership with Kerlink, the company plans to deploy the system in a million more homes and more than 5,000 commercial and industrial facilities by 2024 – targeting to save over 10-billion litres of water in the next three years.
