RFID device monitors cross-contamination

Auckland University of Technology (AUT) has been involved in a project which used radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to identify points of cross-contamination between sewerage and stormwater pipes in the Central Auckland region.

Dr Boon-Chong Seet, a lecturer at AUT School of Engineering, was last year approached by Jim Jackson from the Manukau Harbour Restoration Society. Dr Seet said the harbour had been treated “as a rubbish tip for 100 years” and the water quality in Onehunga Bay could be significantly compromised as a result of the cross-contamination points.

Jackson wanted to use the same technology farmers use to track cows to follow the sewage journey and find these cross-contamination points. So Dr Seet and three of his students - Jakov Biondic, Jagomohan Singh Jaura and Sean Whittaker - agreed to help out.

In 11 weeks the group designed an RFID tag, containing a microchip, that can be read well in fluid environments. Housed in a lightweight 3D printed case, the tag not only has the ability to be detected reliably in excess of 10 metres, but it also floats on water. The group also implemented a tag detection system that can wirelessly transmit the detected tag information to any mobile phone and web-based server for remote monitoring.

The 3D printed case Dr Boon-Chong Seet and his students created.

Dr Seet claims the solution is less time-consuming and less costly than existing methods of collecting and testing water samples. He feels there is room for improvement to make the solution functionally more robust when operating in harsh environments such as the sewerage system.