Flooding may occur in some parts of Hong Kong when severe weather strikes. To enhance flood prevention efforts, the EMSD has developed the Smart Flood Monitoring System (the System) equipped with innovative technologies to facilitate client departments’ monitoring of the water levels in critical infrastructures and early responses.
Equipped with on-site ultrasonic distance sensors for water level detection and centralised dashboards, the System allows staff to monitor water levels anywhere and anytime. Responsible site staff will be immediately notified as necessary to take prompt actions against flooding, with a view to minimising the impacts of extreme weather on emergency and essential public services.
The System provides protection for critical infrastructures constantly. One to three ultrasonic distance sensors are installed in each critical infrastructure, enabling real-time monitoring of water level changes. The sensors have an indoor detection range of 30 to 500 cm and an outdoor detection range of 50 to 1 000 cm. With internal moisture-proof coating and waterproof housings, they are well-protected to operate smoothly even under adverse weather conditions. Upon modification, the System also incorporates real-time rainfall data from the Hong Kong Observatory to determine the validity of abnormal water level readings. Once an abnormal water level is detected, corresponding site staff would be notified by email and SMS for relevant actions.
Applying the Government-Wide Internet of Things Network (GWIN) and the Long Range Wide Area Network for data transmission, the new System can provide a data transmission distance of up to 15 km for line of sight. The sensor data will be transmitted in regular interval to the backend system for analysis to allow real-time monitoring of flooding risks.
Employing various new technologies, the Smart Flood Monitoring System enables reliable and timely protection for our city infrastructures.