Grab samples tell you what happened once a day or once a week. Continuous monitoring tells you what is happening right now — every few seconds, around the clock. Integrating real-time sensor data with your water quality compliance software and environmental data management platform gives you a complete picture: continuous process data for operational decisions combined with lab-analyzed discrete samples for regulatory reporting.
Common Real-Time Parameters
| Parameter | Sensor Type | Typical Interval | Compliance Application |
|---|---|---|---|
| pH | Glass electrode or ISFET | Every 15 seconds | NPDES instantaneous min/max limits |
| Dissolved Oxygen | Optical (luminescent) or galvanic | Every 15–60 seconds | Effluent DO limits, aeration control |
| Turbidity | Nephelometric (90° scatter) | Every 15 seconds | SWTR filter performance, effluent limits |
| Conductivity | Contacting or toroidal | Every 15–60 seconds | TDS proxy, industrial discharge monitoring |
| Temperature | Thermistor or RTD | Every 15 seconds | Thermal discharge limits |
| Chlorine Residual | Amperometric or colorimetric | Every 1–5 minutes | Disinfection compliance, TRC limits |
| ORP | Platinum electrode | Every 15–60 seconds | Dechlorination control, process monitoring |
| Flow | Mag meter, ultrasonic, flume/weir | Every 15 seconds | DMR flow reporting, loading calculations |
| Ammonia | Ion-selective electrode or UV | Every 5–15 minutes | Nitrification monitoring, effluent limits |
| Nitrate | UV absorption or ISE | Every 5–15 minutes | Nutrient monitoring, denitrification control |
Continuous vs. Discrete Monitoring
Continuous Monitoring: What Sensors Provide
Online sensors generate thousands of data points per day for field-measurable parameters. This data captures short-duration events (pH spikes, DO drops, turbidity surges) that discrete sampling would miss entirely. For process control, continuous data enables real-time treatment adjustments. For compliance, it provides a complete record of conditions at the outfall.
Discrete Monitoring: What Lab Analysis Provides
Parameters like BOD, metals, nutrients, organics, and bacteria require laboratory analysis with defined analytical methods, detection limits, and QA/QC procedures. Grab and composite samples are collected at defined frequencies, analyzed at certified laboratories, and imported via EDD.
Integrated Compliance Picture
The most effective monitoring programs integrate both data streams. Continuous sensor data provides the operational awareness and early warning capability. Lab data provides the legally defensible analytical results for DMR reporting. Software brings both into a single platform where they can be viewed together, correlated, and used for comprehensive compliance management.
SCADA Integration
How SCADA Connects to Compliance Software
SCADA systems collect and store sensor data in the plant’s process control system. Compliance software integrates with SCADA through data exports (CSV, historian queries), API connections, or database links. The software imports continuous data at defined intervals (e.g., hourly or daily), applies validation checks, and calculates compliance statistics from the high-frequency data.
Data Reduction for Compliance
A pH sensor generating a reading every 15 seconds produces 5,760 values per day. For DMR reporting, this must be reduced to a daily minimum, daily maximum, and possibly a daily average. Software performs this data reduction automatically and identifies the specific time of each minimum and maximum for the record.
Automated Alerting
Threshold Alerts
Configure alerts when a sensor reading crosses a defined threshold: pH outside the 6.0–9.0 permit range, DO dropping below 5.0 mg/L, turbidity exceeding 10 NTU. Software sends immediate email or SMS notifications to operators, giving them minutes rather than hours or days to respond.
Trend Alerts
Beyond simple threshold crossings, software can detect trends in sensor data: gradually increasing conductivity suggesting a developing issue, declining DO indicating biological stress, or rising turbidity before it reaches the permit limit. Trend-based alerts provide earlier warning than threshold alerts alone.
Sensor Health Monitoring
Software detects common sensor failures: flatline readings (sensor stuck at one value), readings outside the physically possible range, rapid oscillation indicating electrical interference, and gaps indicating communication failures. Identifying sensor problems quickly prevents reliance on bad data and ensures timely maintenance.
Related Ecesis Solutions
Water Quality Software
Lab imports, data validation, permit tracking and DMR reporting.
Environmental Data
Sensor integration, statistical analysis and trend visualization.
EHS Dashboards
Real-time KPI dashboards and visual analytics.
Water & Wastewater
Comprehensive compliance for water utilities.
Compliance Obligations
Track all regulatory obligations and recurring deadlines.
Task Tracking
Assign corrective actions with due dates and accountability.
Ready to Integrate Real-Time Monitoring?
Call (720) 547-5102 or click below to see sensor integration and continuous monitoring.
