Low Power Pressure Monitoring Data Loggers

Pressure Monitoring in Water Distribution Networks

Water pressure is both a service quality indicator and a key driver of water losses in distribution networks. Too low, and customers experience insufficient service pressure with complaints and regulatory consequences. Too high, and pipes experience excess stress leading to more frequent bursts and higher background leakage rates that persist even when no active burst is present. Research by the IWA Water Loss Specialist Group demonstrates that a 10-metre reduction in average zone night pressure can reduce leakage by 4-6% — a significant and cost-effective loss reduction measure. Continuous pressure monitoring is therefore both a service quality management tool and a proven water loss reduction strategy for distribution network operators.

Multi-Point Pressure Monitoring Architecture

Up to 4 Simultaneous Pressure Inputs

The ThingsLog pressure logger connects up to 4 pressure transducers simultaneously — covering the full instrumentation requirements of a district metered area from a single device. In a DMA, this enables monitoring at the zone inlet as the primary measurement point, the zone extremity at the lowest pressure point in the network, key customer connection points where service pressure must be verified, and the PRV downstream connection to verify that the pressure reducing valve is maintaining its setpoint correctly.

Pressure Transducer Compatibility

ThingsLog loggers accept 4-20mA and 0-5V pressure transducers from all major manufacturers including Keller, Endress+Hauser, Honeywell, and WIKA. Stainless steel transducers rated for potable water contact are recommended for water utility applications (WRAS or DWI approved models). The logger’s 16-bit ADC provides measurement resolution of better than 0.01% of full scale — sufficient for detecting pressure variations of less than 10 millibar in a 10-bar range transducer, enabling sensitive leak event detection.

PRV (Pressure Reducing Valve) Performance Monitoring

Pressure Reducing Valves are installed at zone boundaries to reduce supply pressure from the transmission main to the desired distribution zone operating pressure. PRV performance degrades over time as seals wear, pilot valves stick, and flow characteristics change with accumulated debris. A malfunctioning PRV may deliver excess pressure — increasing leakage and burst risk — or insufficient pressure, compromising customer service. ThingsLog monitors both upstream and downstream pressure simultaneously, automatically alerting operators when downstream pressure deviates from the configured setpoint by more than the defined tolerance, indicating PRV malfunction, pilot failure, or bypass leakage that requires maintenance intervention.

Integration with NRW Management

Pressure data from ThingsLog loggers integrates directly with the ThingsLog NRW management module, which correlates pressure measurements with flow data from DMA inlet meters to build a comprehensive picture of zone behaviour. The platform applies the Fixed and Variable Area Discharges (FAVAD) leak model to estimate the pressure-leakage relationship specific to each zone — quantifying how much leakage reduction is achievable through pressure management before committing to infrastructure investment. Zones are benchmarked against each other and against industry targets such as Infrastructure Leakage Index (ILI) values below 2.0, enabling water utilities to prioritise intervention resources to the zones where they will deliver the greatest return.