Flood monitoring technology that can warn emergency services and councils of danger even earlier than the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) has been developed by a Townsville business.
In a world first, LiXiA’s warning system uses sensors and the IoT to measure water height to provide real-time data insights into overland flow from creek catchments and rivers.
Moment-to-moment digital updates are transmitted to management centres and analysts, offering more time to plan, warn, evacuate and act in flood emergencies.
“There is no substitute for real-time data,” says LiXiA co-founder Govinda Pandey.
“It’s critical when you’re in a disaster-management scenario.”
Until now, councils and emergency services have had to rely on computer-generated flood models, which are prone to significant variables.
In a trial during flooding in Townsville earlier this year, LiXiA’s sensors measured the peak flood level an hour before the local BoM station.
Since then, support and interest further afield have been tremendous.
The BoM, “fascinated” by the ability to generate early warnings of overland flows, has given the technology the thumbs up, while talks are taking place with several councils further south, including Logan City Council near Brisbane and Liverpool City Council in the greater Sydney region.
One council in North Queensland is arranging for a bigger rollout ahead of its upcoming wet season from December through April. Another council is also gearing up for a trial of the technology.
Insurance companies are also expected to embrace LiXiA’s technology.
“Early warnings give people time to move their cars to higher ground and make their homes and contents safer before flooding occurs,” Mr Pandey said.
“That’s obviously a saving for insurers. If you put the sensors in a much bigger catchment (than in the Townsville trial), the insights would be incredible.”
The LiXiA team of engineers, data scientists and technology specialists set up the sensors, hardware and digital data dashboard for real-time monitoring.
The data can be used for future planning, but the prime purpose is to assist in disaster management.
It seems LiXiA’s timing couldn’t be more perfect.
According to the BoM, the chance of La Niña — increased rainfall — forming in eastern and northern Australia in coming months is now a certainty.
Rapid expansion is also on the horizon.
“We want to roll out the technology across flood-prone areas across the country and once we have market traction within Australia, we’ll go overseas,” Mr Pandey said.
“It’s very exciting. The heads-up our technology brings can quite literally save lives.”
Caption: LiXiA General Manager Simon Igloi demonstrates the technology to co-founders Jeff Loughran and Govinda Pandey and Ai Group's Mel Ireland.
LiXiA has been a member of Ai Group since February 2002.
“Ai Group has been a tremendous source of support and information as we have grown and developed our business. They have lobbied on our behalf to government and industry and have provided a promotional platform to help us continue our growth.” — LiXiA co-founder Govinda Pandey
Wendy Larter is Communications Manager at the Australian Industry Group. She has more than 20 years’ experience as a reporter, features writer, contributor and sub-editor for newspapers and magazines including The Courier-Mail in Brisbane and Metro, the News of the World, The Times and Elle in the UK.
