Water Quality Monitoring System Using Zigbee Based Wireless Sensor Network

The parameters involved in the water quality monitoring such as the pH level, turbidity and temperature is measured in real time by the sensors that send the data to the base station or control/monitoring room. As the monitoring is intended to be carried out in a remote area with limited access, signal or data from the sensor unit will then be transmitted wirelessly to the base monitoring station. The application of wireless sensor network (WSN) for a water quality monitoring is composed of a number of sensor nodes with networking capability. Such monitoring system can be setup emphasizing on the aspects of low cost, easy ad hoc installation, easy handling and maintenance. The use of wireless system for monitoring purpose will not only reduce the overall monitoring system cost in terms of facilities setup and labor cost, but will also provide flexibility in terms of distance or location. In this project, the fundamental design and implementation of WSN featuring a high power transmission Zigbee based technology together with the IEEE 802.15.4 compatible transceiver is used. It is chosen due to its features that fulfill the requirement for a low cost, easy to use, minimal power consumption and reliable data communication between sensor nodes. The development of graphical user interface (GUI) for the monitoring purposes at the base monitoring station is another main component in the project. The GUI should be able to display the parameters being monitored continuously in real time. The developed GUI platform using MATLAB is cost-effective and allows easy customization. Keywords— graphical user interface, water quality monitoring, wireless sensor network, Zigbee technology.