Industry knowledge and importance of reservoir water level monitoring
As the core water conservancy project for comprehensive utilization such as flood control, water supply, irrigation, and power generation, water level monitoring is a crucial link in the operation and dispatch of reservoirs, directly related to the safety of water conservancy projects and the efficient utilization of water resources. According to the “Code for Design of Reservoir Engineering Management” (SL 106 – 2017), medium – sized and above reservoirs are required to achieve real – time water level monitoring, with a monitoring accuracy of not less than ±2mm, a data sampling interval of no more than 10 minutes, and a historical data storage duration of not less than 10 years.
According to the <Water Resources Development Report 2024>, China currently has over 98,000 reservoirs of various types, among which there are over 3,100 medium-sized reservoirs, and approximately 70% of these medium-sized reservoirs shoulder the dual functions of basin flood control and urban and rural water supply. Water level monitoring data is not only the core basis for reservoir flood control regulation—when the water level approaches the flood limit water level, the flood discharge plan needs to be activated in combination with rainfall data; it is also a key reference for water supply regulation—by calculating the reservoir capacity based on water level changes, it ensures water demand for farmland irrigation and urban water supply during the irrigation period.In addition, water level data also provides basic support for the safety assessment of water conservancy projects and the research on hydrology and water resources, and its accuracy and continuity directly affect the effectiveness of the comprehensive benefits of reservoirs.
Existing Problems – Taking Dongpinghu Reservoir as an Example
As an important flood storage and detention area in the lower reaches of the Yellow River, Dongpinghu Reservoir also undertakes the tasks of supplying water to 1.2 million people in Tai’an and Jining cities and irrigating 500,000 mu of farmland in the surrounding area, with a total storage capacity of 2.008 billion cubic meters. Before the introduction of Duweyintelli brand manufacturer equipment, its water level monitoring system had long faced three core problems, seriously affecting the efficiency of operation and dispatch.
Insufficient monitoring accuracy:
Using traditional float-type level gauges, affected by wind, waves, and water temperature changes, the monthly average measurement error reaches ±8mm, far exceeding the ±2mm accuracy standard required by the “Design Code for Reservoir Engineering Management”. During the flood season of 2023, the flood discharge scheduling was delayed by 2 hours due to water level monitoring deviation, increasing the flood control pressure downstream.
Data transmission lag:
Relying on manual on-site recording of water level data every hour and then reporting it to the dispatch center by phone, the data transmission delay averaged 40 minutes. During the summer drought period in 2022, the failure to promptly capture the rapid decline trend of the water level led to a temporary interruption of water supply for farmland irrigation, affecting the growth of 12,000 mu of wheat.
Data retention missing:
Using paper ledger to record water level data is susceptible to moisture and insect damage, resulting in the loss of historical data. During the reservoir safety assessment conducted by the Ministry of Water Resources, due to incomplete water level data for some years, the assessment grade was downgraded to “qualified”.
Core requirement: Upgrade of accurate, real-time, and traceable water level monitoring
Based on the above issues, combined with the operational positioning of Dongping Lake Reservoir, which focuses on flood control while also considering water supply, three core requirements are identified to fully meet the requirements of industry regulations.
High-precision monitoring requirements:
The water level measurement error shall be controlled within ±2mm, suitable for the water level variation range of 0-12m in the reservoir, and capable of withstanding complex working conditions such as 3-level wind and waves, water temperature changes from -10°C to 40°C, etc., to ensure monitoring accuracy in special scenarios such as flood seasons and winter.
Real-time transmission requirements :
The data sampling interval has been shortened to 5 minutes per time, enabling automatic transmission of monitoring data to the provincial water resources dispatch center with a transmission delay of no more than 30 seconds, supporting real-time decision-making for flood control and water supply dispatch.
Full-cycle traceability requirements:
Automatically stores water level data, supports generating water level change curves by day, month, and year, has the function of abnormal data annotation, and meets the needs of water conservancy supervision, safety assessment, and data auditing.
Solution: duweyintelli Manufacturer Level Gauge and Data Logger System Deployment
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In response to the requirements and complex working conditions of Dongping Lake Reservoir, duweyintelli Manufacturer provides an integrated solution of “high-precision monitoring + real-time transmission + intelligent storage”, clarifies the application scenarios and core functions of the equipment, and achieves full-process optimization of water level monitoring.
Radar Level Gauge: Deployed at key monitoring points to achieve high-precision water level collection
Application Scenarios: A total of 6 radar level gauges are deployed at the main dam, auxiliary dam, flood discharge sluice, and water intake of the reservoir. Among them, the main dam location adopts the “radar + hydrostatic” dual monitoring mode, suitable for open water areas with large wind and waves; other locations adopt the single radar monitoring mode, suitable for relatively stable working conditions. All equipment is installed inside the water level observation well to avoid direct interference from wind and waves.
Core Function: Adopting high-frequency radar sensors, it has a measurement range of 0-20m and an accuracy of ±1mm, far exceeding the industry’s standard requirement of ±2mm. The device is equipped with a temperature compensation function, which can automatically correct the impact of water temperature changes on measurement results; it is also equipped with a dew-proof probe to adapt to the humid environment of reservoirs. After real-time collection of water level data, it is transmitted to the data recorder via 4G/5G modules, providing accurate raw data for dispatching decisions.
duweyintelli Manufacturer Industrial-grade Data Recorder
Application Scenario: Deploy 1 industrial-grade data recorder at the reservoir dispatch center, connect to the real-time data of 6 level gauges, and simultaneously link other monitoring data such as rainfall and flood discharge to form a unified data management platform.
Core Role:
Receive level gauge data in real time, with a sampling interval that can be flexibly set (minimum 5 minutes per time), transmission delay controlled within 20 seconds, and when the water level approaches the flood limit water level (42.72m) or dead water level (36.72m), an audible and visual alarm is automatically triggered;
Achieves secure data storage, with high storage capacity per device, supports instantaneous flow, cumulative flow, etc., and has a long data retention period.
Intelligent data processing automatically generates daily/monthly/yearly water level data tables, can mark water level mutation points corresponding to special events such as heavy rain and flood discharge, supports Excel export and data docking with provincial water conservancy platforms, and meets the needs of supervision and evaluation.
Application Results: Dual Improvement in Monitoring Capability and Scheduling Efficiency
One year after the equipment of Duweyintelli Manufacturer was put into operation, the water level monitoring system of Dongping Lake Reservoir has been comprehensively upgraded, with all indicators exceeding industry standards and the dispatching efficiency significantly improved.
Monitoring accuracy meets the standard: The measurement error of the liquid level gauge is stable within ±1.5mm, far lower than the industry standard of ±2mm. During the flood season in 2024, it accurately captured 3 rapid water level rise processes, providing accurate data for flood discharge scheduling, advancing the flood discharge response time by 1.5 hours, and effectively reducing the flood control pressure downstream.
Transmission Efficiency Optimization: The data sampling interval has been shortened to 5 minutes per time, transmission delay is controlled within 20 seconds, completely replacing the manual record and reporting mode, and the number of operation and maintenance personnel has been reduced by 50%. During the irrigation period, real-time water level data is used to accurately calculate reservoir capacity, ensuring continuous and stable water supply for farmland irrigation, with no water supply interruptions occurring.
Data Traceability Improvement: The data recorder has cumulatively stored water level data, with the integrity rate of historical data reaching 100%. In the water conservancy safety assessment, due to the complete and standardized data, the assessment grade has been upgraded to “excellent”.
Excellent equipment stability: The entire set of equipment operates stably under winter low temperatures of -10°C, summer high temperatures of 38°C, and 8-level gale weather conditions, with an annual failure rate of only 0.3%, far lower than the industry average of 2%. The 7×24-hour after-sales service provided by DuweyIntelli Manufacturer ensures that the equipment failure response time does not exceed 2 hours, guaranteeing the continuous operation of the monitoring system throughout the year and increasing the water supply guarantee rate to 99.9%.
This application has fully verified the adaptability and reliability of the level gauge and data recorder from duweyintelli manufacturer under the complex operating conditions of the reservoir, providing a replicable practical case for the upgrade of water level monitoring in medium-sized reservoirs.
duweyintelli has ultrasonic level gauges, submersible level gauges, and 8-100 channel data recorders, which can provide targeted solutions according to different on-site working conditions. >> View more aboutduweyintelli products
