Taggle & Myriota: Enhancing water management with satellite data collection

Originally featured in Inside Water.

In the ever-evolving landscape of digital water metering innovation, a partnership between Taggle Systems and Myriota has paved the way for efficient water consumption data collection from remote locations.

Taggle Systems, one of Australia’s foremost digital water metering solutions providers, has harnessed Myriota’s satellite connectivity. It has enabled water utilities to monitor water consumption in the most remote areas, offering a solution for both rural and urban water management challenges. Myriota, based in South Australia, specialises in low-power, cost- effective direct-to-orbit Internet of Things (IoT) communications via nanosatellites. This technology collects water consumption data from outlying water meters situated within a council’s or water utilities service area. Myriota’s secure nanosatellite network has seamless connectivity. It offers a cost- effective and efficient means to overcome the hurdles presented by challenging terrains, lack of network availability, and the necessity of monitoring water consumption in remote locations. 

Myriota works seamlessly with Taggle Systems to better monitor water consumption. The satellite connectivity offered by Myriota expands opportunities for rural and remote communities to track water use from loT devices. 

Collecting data from every water meter

Taggle’s digital water metering ecosystem is designed with an open and interoperable architecture, allowing its customers to choose from a range of solutions that best suit their unique applications. The challenge of establishing effective communication between water meters and an IoT platform is not to be underestimated, especially when considering various factors like location, terrain, and network availability. 

To ensure full coverage of all water meters while keeping costs in check, Taggle provides multiple connectivity options, including their proprietary Taggle Byron low-power, wide-area network, the telecommunications standard NB-IoT, and Myriota satellite connectivity. 

Many water meters within a council or utility area are typically clustered together in towns or along roads. Deploying radio network coverage for these locations is straightforward. 

However, complexity arises when dealing with outlying meters that fall beyond the reach of radio network coverage, making it neither cost- effective nor practical to deploy a Taggle Byron receiver, especially where NB-IoT coverage is also absent. This is where Myriota’s simple-to-deploy satellite solution can be used. 

Myriota satellite connectivity offers an elegant answer to these remote monitoring changes. Regardless of the meter’s location, it only requires a view of the sky to connect directly to the Myriota network. Taggle’s Cockatoo telemetry device efficiently collects hourly water consumption data from the meter and, at regular intervals when a satellite is overhead, transmits this invaluable information for analysis and reporting. 

Remote areas and rural properties are particularly prone to high levels of water leaks due to situations such as animals inadvertently damaging water infrastructure. Large properties often make it difficult to detect leaks in a timely manner. The granular, hourly water consumption data collected through this satellite- based solution can play a pivotal role in rapidly identifying water losses, especially in regions dependent on their water supply. This is crucial during periods of drought when water conservation and early leak detection become paramount. 

The benefits of satellite communication

In terms of infrastructure challenges, traditional communication networks are often contingent on line-of-sight access, which can pose limitations in hilly areas and river valleys. These geographical nuances can hinder coverage, making it difficult to monitor water meters effectively. Myriota’s satellite connectivity becomes indispensable in such situations, providing an alternative to deploying additional communication networks. They have effectively bridged the coverage gaps in these hard-to-reach terrains. Furthermore, the remote satellite connectivity offered by Myriota. 

Even the most remote properties are now connected, and leaks can be identified quickly. The Taggle Cockatoo transmits water meter data via Myriota’s satellite network is not limited to residential and commercial water meters. It can be effectively leveraged for monitoring network meters along pipelines, presenting a valuable use of the technology. By continuously monitoring different points along a pipeline, the solution can quickly identify water losses, indicating leaks or breaks in the pipeline, which often cover large distances, something that would be challenging to achieve using conventional communication networks. 

The collaboration between Taggle and Myriota marks an advancement in water consumption data collection. This satellite- based solution enhances water management by providing efficient monitoring capabilities in even the most remote and challenging terrains. 

As the demand for more efficient and technologically driven water management solutions continues to grow, Taggle’s open ecosystem and range of network options offer a solution to the pressing needs of the water industry.  

To purchase Taggle Cockatoo or to learn more, please visit Taggle.

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For the Taggle Cockatoo Myriota supplied:

• Myriota connectivity
• Design Services – Antenna design

Taggle supplied:

• End product
• Sensor integration
• Data visualisation
• Companion app