15-09-2022 high-tech systems & materials, water & maritime

EventLab solution for real-time drinking water monitoring enters Chinese market

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Demcon optiqua, Maxonic Automation Control and Yunhe Information Technology sign partnership contracttion

Demcon optiqua, Maxonic Automation Control, and Yunhe Information Technology recently signed a contract for the rollout of EventLab in China. Following Optiqua signing a contract earlier this year with PUB, Singapore’s national water agency, this establishes EventLab’s breakthrough in the Asian market. EventLab is Optiqua’s comprehensive solution for real-time drinking water monitoring. Maxonic, a Shenzen-based instrumentation supplier, and Yunhe, the Changsha-based developer of an intelligent water management platform for Chinese urban water supply companies, have worked together closely with Optiqua on a dedicated solution for the Chinese market. This solution involves a drinking water quality monitoring station that incorporates EventLab and an automatic water sampling unit. The station can be connected to the intelligent water management platform operated by Yunhe and Maxonic, to which over 50 drinking water companies have subscribed.

Access to and quality assurance of drinking water is a growing concern for populations and authorities all over the world. Clean drinking water is one of the global challenges that can be addressed using innovative technological solutions. Demcon optiqua, a developer and producer of technology and innovative products, has developed an optical technology for the real-time monitoring of drinking water. This makes it possible to respond quickly to changes in the composition of the drinking water.

Comprehensive solution
A patented optical lab-on-a-chip sensor with generic sensitivity to changes in water quality forms the core of the EventLab network. In addition to a network of sensors, the EventLab system consists of infrastructure for data transmission and data analysis & visualization software. Data algorithms constantly analyze the information produced by the sensor network for abnormal water quality changes. In case of an event – contamination or another change in the drinking water’s composition – the software issues an alert. This enables the drinking water company to immediately initiate action, by further analyzing the water collected in the automatic sampling unit.

Chinese drinking water companies
In China, Maxonic Automation Control and Yunhe Information Technology both recognized a growing need for real-time water quality monitoring. Maxonic is a Shenzen-based listed company that serves drinking water companies across China by developing and supplying instrumentation for the monitoring of water flow, pressure, and temperature. Yunhe, located in Changsha, is an innovative enterprise co-founded by national Chinese water experts and information experts. Yunhe has developed an intelligent water management platform for urban water supply companies. This platform is engaged in the online management of water resources, water production, water distribution, and sewage monitoring. Over 50 Chinese drinking water companies have subscribed to this platform. Water quality data as provided by the EventLab system are a valuable addition to the platform.

Dedicated water quality monitoring station
After an extensive evaluation of EventLab, Maxonic Automation Control and Yunhe Information Technology decided that the system meets the needs of Chinese drinking water companies. They reached an agreement with Demcon optiqua to introduce the EventLab system into China. Together with Optiqua, they customized EventLab into a dedicated solution by incorporating EventLab and an automatic water sampling unit into a water quality monitoring station. They also established a connection between the station and the intelligent water management platform. The sampling unit in combination with a touchscreen display included in the station will enable drinking water companies to take immediate local action after EventLab has issued an alert. Now, Maxonic will start commercializing the EventLab-based water quality monitoring station in the Chinese market. To that end, Optiqua, Maxonic, and Yunhe recently signed a contract regarding the actual sale of EventLab systems and a long-term partnership for entering the Chinese market.

Validated for the Chinese market
Mr. Xiong Gaoli, General Manager of Yunhe Information Technology and a senior water expert appointed by the Ministry of Water Resources, said, “We have conducted repeated comparison tests in water plants and professional laboratories for more than one year. EventLab has a good response to the changes induced by heavy metals, pesticides, benzene compounds, and other components in water. It is reliable and serves fully as a ‘sentinel of water quality’ to escort water safety.”

Mr. Fu Yu Chen, Chairman of Maxonic Automation Control, said, “Optiqua’s innovative technology combined with our design solutions is tailored to the needs of our Chinese customers’ concerns about water safety. In the future, we will explore in-depth cooperation with Optiqua to integrate its water quality sensor in a water flow meter and in a real-time surface water monitoring station to ensure the safety of water quality for the wider community.”

Long-term partnership
Mr. Jos-Willem Verhoef, Managing Director of Demcon optiqua, added, “After signing our contract with Singapore’s national water agency PUB earlier this year, we have now taken a major second step in the Asian market. This establishes a breakthrough for our solution in the global drinking water community, which is in dire need of EventLab’s capability: on-line detection of a very wide range of contaminants in drinking water. I’m pleased with the engagement of a long-term partnership with Maxonic and Yunhe. They are not only partners with an intimate knowledge of the Chinese drinking water market, but also competent technology developers. The integration of a water sampling unit with our EventLab system is definitely a hit, which we will take further to other markets. We are ready to bring real-time drinking water monitoring to the next level.”