Hydroelectric DO Monitoring

Project Overview

A large Midwest Power Utility operates a hydroelectric plant. Their FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) permit requires that they monitor the water quality upstream and downstream of the plant.

Fondriest Environmental was contacted help develop and setup a real-time hydroelectric DO monitoring system that would monitor water quality and make the data available in real-time at the plant’s office.

DO Monitoring System Description

Near the upstream reservoir of the power plant, two YSI 6600EDS sondes are deployed at different depths to monitor water quality before flowing through the hydroelectric plant into a river.

A 50′ cable connects the sondes to a NexSens iSIC data logger, where it is then sent directly to the 4100-base station and monitored using NexSens iChart software. Further downstream, another YSI 6600EDS sonde is deployed through a deployment pipe attached to a bridge. A 4100-iSIC then collects the data from the sonde at fixed intervals and sends it over license-free radio waves to the base station.

At yet another bridge site further downstream, a fourth YSI 6600EDS monitors the water’s quality. Radio waves transmit the data to a nearby 4200-iSIC, where it is sent through a telephone line back to the base station. With the help of NexSens Technology and YSI, the plant will instantly know if there are any inconsistencies in the water quality from before and after it passes through the hydroelectric plant.