Water level sensor – Alpha Group Consulting
Alpha Group’s tank level monitor and leak detection unit provides real-time information on tank water height and water flow.
Benefits
The unit minimises how often you need to check water tanks, troughs and pumps, saving on driving and labour costs.
Water leaks are identified early, which could otherwise go undetected for weeks and waste valuable resources.
It allows farmers to leave their property for longer periods and remotely check the water supply. The risk of stock going without water is significantly reduced.
How it works
This unit monitors the water height in a header tank and the water flow through the outlet, via the in-line flow meter. This detects water leaks, failures of the pump or windmill, and the pump health.
As stock water consumption is negligible early in the morning, high flow rates during these hours indicates a water leak. A text message is sent each morning with:
- the water use for the previous 24 hours
- current tank levels.
You can access the water usage data online at any time through the Alpha Group dashboard.
Alpha Group online dashboard information
Installation and power
The tank level monitor and flow meters can be installed independent of each other but are recommended to be used together. These sensors can be fitted by Alpha Group or the producer.
Power is supplied by a solar panel and battery. The unit can also be connected to mains electricity.
Connectivity requirements
The unit is compatible with 3G, 4G and satellite connection.
Pricing model
There is an upfront payment at the time of installation, along with a 12-month subscription for text message reporting. Online access and product support is provided.
Installation can be included in the purchase price but is dependent on user location.
Producer case study
Producer case study
Alex and Harold operate their 6,000-hectare farming property at Taratap and Keilira in South Australia. They manage 700 shorthorn cows and 7,500 merino breeding ewes, as well as cropping.
Following water leaks in November 2021, they adopted Alpha Group Consulting’s tank monitor and leak detection unit, and a pump monitor with a pressure sensor and flow monitor. The locations of these devices do not allow enough mobile reception to make a phone call, but they support communication of the data.
The sensors monitor an 11km high-pressure line which supplies approximately 2,000 hectares. It provides drinking water to 300 cows, 4,000 ewes, 1,000 first cross ewe lambs, and 1,400 wethers.
During the first 3 months using the sensors, they’ve detected 4 major water issues on that line which were rectified immediately. These included:
- a trough leak which lowered the pressure of the line, preventing the header tank to be filled
- a broken fitting on their pump which wasted water and no longer supplied livestock
- 2 high-pressure fitting failures within the 11km water line.
Alex and Harold previously had pump failures and broken troughs and fittings, which can took up to 2 weeks to be detected during winter.
With water issues already found by the Alpha Group sensors, Alex and Harold determined the costs of the devices and subscription charges have already paid for themselves.
Alex and Harold’s advice to producers looking to install water monitoring, is to research which technology best suits your needs. They considered other providers but found Alpha Group Consulting the best solution due to their range of sensors, including:
- the flowmeter for leak detection
- the pump monitor
- the tank monitor.
Return on investment (ROI) estimate
Return on investment (ROI) estimate
The below table demonstrates the cost of using Alpha Group Consulting technology over 3 years, compared to no water monitoring.
Estimated ROI is based on manually checking tanks and troughs at our Kybybolite property, which is not as regularly patrolled as the Struan farm. Considering the 37km distance between the farms, water runs are reduced by 50% using the Alpha Group sensors.
If your property relies on reticulated water, these costs will be considerably higher.
Costs | Manual water checks | 1st year using Alpha Group | 2nd year using Alpha Group | 3rd year using Alpha Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Purchase price + ongoing data costs | - |
$1,940.00 ($1,490 hardware + $250 25mm pipeline + $200 data subscription for multiple devices) | $200.00 | $200.00 |
| Labour cost1 | $4,387.50 | $2,193.75 | $2,193.75 | $2,193.75 |
| Motor vehicle cost2 | $3,090.24 | $1,545.12 | $1,545.12 | $1,545.12 |
| Total costs | $7,477.74 | $5,678.87 | $3,938.87 | $3,938.87 |
| Savings3 | - | $3,738.87 | $7,477.74 | $11,216.61 |
| Return on investment4 | - |
93% of costs recovered |
249% of costs recovered |
379% of costs recovered |
- Estimated labour cost of $50 per hour to check waters.
- Motor vehicle costs estimated at $0.72 per km.
- Savings calculations estimated from a 50% reduction in labour and vehicle costs each year from reduced water checks.
- ROI calculations include investment and ongoing costs. These assume no water issues have been detected in 3 years.
The use of the monitoring devices does not eliminate the need to check water tanks and troughs but reduces how often these checks are needed.
If a significant out-of-water event went undetected for a few days, livestock weight loss and death would cause production losses. The investment costs will therefore be recovered in 1 to 2 years of installation, even if no water issues are detected.
See it in action
To view the Alpha Group’s tank level monitor and leak detection unit, contact the AgTech Extension Officer at Struan and Kybybolite demonstration farm.
Struan AgTech field day demonstration
Contact vendor
James De Barro – Alpha Group
Email: james@thealphagroup.com.au
Phone: 0417 946 053
