Skoczów monitors local rivers. Sencito is to help in the fight against flood risk

The municipality of Skoczów has implemented the Sencito system, which allows for automatic monitoring of water levels in local watercourses and weather conditions. The solution, introduced to the Polish market by the MdI Project in cooperation with a Czech partner, is to improve flood prevention and communication with residents.

In this way, Skoczów supplemented the flood protection activities carried out in recent years. Many elements of infrastructure in the commune have been repaired in the last two years. Now the local government has received a tool that allows it to monitor the hydrological situation on an ongoing basis.

Sencito uses LoRa technology and IoT devices. In Skoczów, the system currently includes 11 sensors – eight devices monitoring the water level and three meteorological stations. The sensors were located in Bładnica, Pogórzanka and Bajerek. Meteorological stations, on the other hand, collect data on temperature and rainfall and snowfall.

– We have implemented a system in our municipality that allows us to monitor the water level in Bładnica, Pogórzanka and Bajerek on an ongoing basis. Thanks to this, we can react faster to the changing situation and even better prepare for possible flood risks. This is another step towards increasing the safety of our residents – says Piotr Hanzel, Deputy Mayor of Skoczów.

Data from rivers available on an ongoing basis

The system includes several measurement points in the commune. In Bładnica, the sensors are located at the bridge on Mickiewicza Street, the footbridge in the Upper Bor Park, the Międzyświeć–Rozdroże bridge and the railway bridge in Bładnice.

In Pogórzanka, the devices were installed at the bridge to Zamek Street in the area of the chapel, at the bridge near the tunnel under the S52 road and at the culvert to Zamek Street in the area of DPS-Bucze. Another measuring point operates on Bajerka by the bridge along Bielska Street, i.e. provincial road No. 944. Some devices are still in the installation and configuration phase.

– At the moment, we have 11 such sensors located in the Skoczów commune. Eight of them operate on the rivers: Bładnica, Bajerka and Pogórzanka, and three are meteorological stations that study temperature and rainfall and snowfall – explains Piotr Hanzel.

He adds that the local government had the opportunity to check the accuracy of the system after one of the local weather episodes.

"I personally checked how the system was performing after one of the smaller storms. The measurements are accurate to the centimeter," says the deputy mayor.

Not just for services. Residents have access to data

One of the elements of the implementation is the Sencito application, which can be used by residents. It allows you to observe data from individual sensors, as well as information from meteorological stations.

In the application, you can also set your own alarm level for the selected point. If the water level exceeds the value indicated by the user, the resident may receive a notification.

– From the application level, e.g. on the Pogórzanka River, the resident has the opportunity to set the selected water level value, after which he will receive a notification. We checked it out and it actually works. Such information can come both by push and by e-mail – points out Piotr  Hanzel.

The local government can also send messages to users of the application. This means that the system can be used not only to present data, but also to directly inform residents about threats.

The application is already used by over 150 people in the Skoczów commune.

– What our residents like is the ability to independently set the level at which they want to receive information. In turn, we from the administrator level can set messages regarding warning or alarm states and send them to the users of the application – says the Deputy Mayor of Skoczów.

Sensors can be mounted without interfering with riverbanks

The form of installation of devices was also important for the local government. The sensors are battery powered, so they do not require an external power supply. In Skoczów, they were installed on existing bridge structures belonging to the commune.

– The big plus is that such sensors are powered by batteries. We were able to install them on our bridge facilities, which we manage, without interfering with the banks or areas that are not our property – explains Piotr Hanzel.

In the case of traditional, stationary devices, it may be necessary to prepare additional documentation and obtain appropriate permits. In the case of Sencito, the installation was simpler because the devices could be placed on the existing infrastructure.

The system also consists of two main communication stations that collect data from sensors deployed in the field.

Sencito as a model for other local governments 

Sencito was introduced to the Polish market by the MdI Project in cooperation with a Czech partner. It was the solution previously functioning in the Czech Republic that attracted the interest of the jumping local government.

– We reached a company that introduced such a system in the Czech Republic. We met here on the spot, talked and started implementing this system. We have reached an agreement and today we have it at our home – says Piotr Hanzel.

For the time being, the local government treats the implementation as a solution that is primarily to increase the possibilities of monitoring the situation and support crisis activities. However, the authorities of Skoczów do not want to prejudge whether the commune is the first such place in Poland.

"I don't know what it looked like in Poland before. Certainly this system was already in the Czech Republic. Perhaps we were actually the first in Silesia – points out the deputy mayor.

After the system was launched, other local governments from the region were also expected to show interest in the solution. According to Hanzl, talks on this matter were conducted, among others, in Cieszyn.

For Skoczów, however, the practical application of the system remains paramount. Automatic water level measurement, weather data, and the ability to quickly transmit messages are intended to create an additional tool for use during crisis situations.

“We're testing for now, but it looks promising. It can be a really good tool that will help us carry out crisis operations and thus increase the safety of our residents – summarizes Piotr Hanzel.

From the perspective of the MdI Project, the implementation in Skoczów shows how IoT technology can be used by the local government without the need to build expensive measurement infrastructure from scratch. Battery sensors, LoRa communication, a central platform and an application for residents form one system that can be developed along with the subsequent needs of the municipality.

In Skoczów, Sencito was launched primarily with flood safety in mind. However, the technology itself allows for a much wider use of data – from monitoring environmental conditions and infrastructure to automatic alarming and communication with residents.