Residents in Aston Ingham are now receiving localised information on water levels and flooding risk so they can take appropriate action, thanks to funding from the River Severn Partnership Advanced Wireless Innovation Region (RSPAWIR).
The flood monitoring system in Aston Ingham uses advanced wireless technology to monitor water levels in surrounding brooks and to raise alerts to the risk of flooding. The system has been developed by the University of Chester, which is working with the local community flood group to ensure the information provided supports them to take appropriate, timely, action.
The RSPAWIR has funded the installation and connection of an additional sensor, using LoRaWan technology, which is linked into the system and allows local people access to a data dashboard where they can assess the flooding risk and take appropriate action to protect their community.
Councillor Nick Mason, Herefordshire Council Cabinet support member, said: "This is a great initiative. The more we understand about how rivers and brooks behave during these flooding events the better we can plan how we address them. I'm keen to extend this sort of activity across the county."
Photo: Matt Smith, RSPAWIR project manager, front left; Cllr Nick Mason third from right; with representatives of the University of Chester and the Aston Ingham community.
Maggie Pettit, from the Aston Ingham Flood Forum, said: “The offer of localised flood alerts to the local community is a significant improvement and one which subscribers will value - forewarned is forearmed!”
Dr Namrata Bhattacharya-mis, senior lecturer and programme leader in natural hazard management at the University of Chester, said: “The system provides 24/7 local water level monitoring and enables email, WhatsApp and SMS notifications to subscribed users to alert them to emerging flood risk.
“It was important to scale up the project since the existing sensors were not sufficient to provide greater understanding of the wider catchment, and we are pleased to have won the support of the RSPAWIR for this. I must also insist the importance of active community engagement here, which took the effectiveness and impact of the project to a greater height.”
Matt Smith, project manager for the RSPAWIR, which is managed by Shropshire Council, added: “This is an excellent example of wireless technology being installed in a natural environment and bringing the maximum benefit to local communities.
“It is hard living with flood risk and this system helps people make informed decisions in good time and will hopefully help people stay protected.”
The River Severn Partnership comprises the eight English and Welsh councils that cover the River Severn catchment area – including Herefordshire.
The RSPAWIR has been awarded £4million of funding from the Department of Science, Industry and Technology, to support the growth of wireless innovation and technology in some of its key economic sectors. It will focus on accelerating the adoption of advanced wireless enabled technologies across three sectors which have particularly strong roots in the River Severn catchment area: Water management, agri-tech and the public sector.