NHR is sharing a smart manhole-monitoring application in the UAE, where NB-IoT-connected H01-NW radar level sensors help a local drainage operator identify rising water and cover movement earlier during intense rainfall.
Quiet in dry weather, alert when rain arrives
The UAE is known for its arid climate, yet several rare episodes of intense rainfall in recent years have put urban drainage under serious stress. With a large, widely distributed manhole inventory, patrols could not keep pace during storms, and problem sections were typically identified only after flooding occurred — while a cover lifted by storm pressure on a busy road posed an immediate safety hazard.
H01-NW sensors were installed under covers along key roads and flood-prone zones, measuring water level with non-contact radar and detecting cover opening and displacement. Data reports directly over NB-IoT, so no local network infrastructure had to be built. On the platform, every manhole carries its own water-level curve and thresholds: readings approaching a limit raise a notice, and crossings trigger an immediate alarm.
From after-the-fact cleanup to advance warning
Awareness of abnormal events has moved from passive reporting to real-time system alerts. The platform shows at a glance which sections are rising fastest and which covers have shifted, letting the operator complete traffic control and pumping arrangements before ponding spreads.
Each manhole's behavior also forms a complete, analyzable record for the first time, helping pinpoint blockage-prone or slow-discharging sections and schedule desilting ahead of time — a long-term basis for drainage improvement.