In its early stages, the AquaWatch system has seen CSIRO and SmartSat CRC partnering with a network of collaborators to develop a water quality monitoring system utilising satellite data.

The system is being designed to support better water quality management through accurate monitoring and forecasting.

Since its launch in 2023, AquaWatch has carried out testing across multiple sites in Australia, including bays, coastal wetlands, rivers, dams, lakes, aquaculture farming and coral reefs.

CEO of Adelaide-based SmartSat CRC Andy Koronios told InDaily the program was based around monitoring the quality of waterways in Australia “from space”, combined with the use of in situ sensors, placed in the water.

Koronios said SmartSat CRC had developed “the systems to be able to actually take that data and upload it on the satellite and then download it to wherever it needs to go from anywhere in Australia”.

“You don’t have to rely on any terrestrial systems like mobile phones that perhaps don’t work very well, or the radio network which is only covering small parts of Australia,” he said.

“This can be monitored from anywhere you put the sensors, and the satellites pass over and collect that data.”

The Tamar Bridge in Plymouth, UK, where AquaWatch water quality sensors have been installed. Photo: Plymouth Marine Laboratories

The collaboration with the UK will be the first time the AquaWatch system is rolled out nationally in another country, as part of the Australian-UK Space Bridge initiative.

“This is something that jointly we will make better, which will serve not only Australia and the UK, but the plan is to actually deploy it globally,” he said.

“It’s not only us that are having water quality problems as water resources become scarcer, as a lot of environmentally induced disasters like floods and droughts kick in all over the world.

“With the capabilities that the UK has, both in space, but also in water monitoring, and IoT, we would be joining forces to actually scale up the operations and make the system far more effective.”

Head of Australia Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd Clive Oates said the collaboration would help the system’s development in preparation for potential further implementation.

“Working with CSIRO and SmartSat CRC on a comprehensive spacecraft platform study will also help accelerate Australia’s capability in the design, manufacture and test of Earth observation capabilities,” he said.

Koronios said “pretty much all of” the system had been developed in Australia.

“I think South Australia can be very proud of making a big contribution to the AquaWatch program,” he said.