New Zealand and South Pacific to utilize the LoRaWAN® standard to anticipate and mitigate droughts

Semtech Corporation, a leading global supplier of high performance analog and mixed-signal semiconductors and advanced algorithms, announced a collaboration with New Zealand’s IoT Ventures and global connectivity provider Lacuna Space. IoT Ventures has used Semtech’s LoRa® devices to develop its Drought Early Warning System, a network of low-cost rainwater tank and rain monitors to analyze water consumption and rain forecasts in remote New Zealand and South Pacific Island communities.

The water monitoring system features ultra-low power, small form-factor sensors, which are solar powered and provide an in-field life of seven to 10 years without intervention, according to IoT Ventures. In addition, the Drought Early Warning System is starting to use Semtech’s Long Range-Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (LR-FHSS) satellite connectivity to seamlessly integrate with a terrestrial network using LoRaWAN, delivering a flexible solution for isolated locations, and can be deployed and managed by local citizens without requiring substantial internet service provider (ISP) infrastructure.

“The remote location of many Pacific Island countries makes it challenging to provide emergency water supplies during droughts, and if an island runs out of water, it may take several weeks for water to be transported,” said Matt Hector-Taylor, co-founder at IoT Ventures. “By combining low-cost sensors with LoRa and strong connectivity signal capabilities, the joint solution helps provide consistent access to clean drinking water for citizens of some of the most remote islands in the world, supports the United Nations Sustainability goals and reduces crisis response.”

Droughts threaten water supplies, and water waste is already a crucial issue worldwide. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that as much as 50% of the water we use outdoors is lost due to wind, evaporation and runoff caused by inefficient irrigation methods and systems. By implementing a smart water monitoring infrastructure comprised of sensors and gateways using LoRa devices and the LoRaWAN standard, governments and utility providers proactively and efficiently collect data to streamline operations to manage costs and appropriately allocate resources. LoRa-enabled solutions are key to realizing the true value of the IoT and specifically, reduce water waste and quickly identify and optimize a community’s water distribution network. Solutions utilizing LoRa empower utility providers worldwide with smart, sustainable and efficient management capabilities.

“As climate change affects water availability worldwide, Semtech’s LoRa devices and the LoRaWAN standard help governments anticipate and mitigate water supply issues,” said Marc Pégulu, vice president of IoT product marketing and strategy for Semtech’s Wireless and Sensing Products Group. “The Drought Early Warning System from IoT Ventures and Lacuna Space will provide communities scalable, highly-accurate resource management capabilities.”