Municipal Manholes
Monitors cover status and internal conditions to enhance safety, maintenance, and network visibility.
Overview
About Manhole Monitoring
The Manhole Monitoring System is an advanced, end‑to‑end solution designed to track the status of manhole covers and measure water levels inside manholes using high‑precision sensor technology. Battery‑operated sensors mounted on the cover detect open or closed states, while integrated mmWave distance‑measurement sensors provide accurate, real‑time water‑level readings to support early flood detection and infrastructure safety.
All sensor data is transmitted wirelessly through LoRaWAN or NB‑IoT, forming a reliable Low‑Power Wide‑Area Network (LPWAN) suitable for large‑scale municipal deployments. This connectivity ensures long‑range communication, low energy consumption, and seamless integration with centralized monitoring platforms for alerts, analytics, and maintenance planning.
Where it’s deployed
Applications & Use Cases
Real-world environments where Manhole Monitoring delivers measurable operational value.
Wastewater Drainage Network
Tracks water levels and blockages in sewer lines for early detection of surges and overflow risks.
Stormwater Manholes
Provides real‑time level monitoring to predict flooding and optimize stormwater flow during heavy rain.
Critical Infrastructure Manholes
Secures telecom, power, and utility chambers with tamper alerts and environmental condition monitoring.
Solution architecture diagram
How Manhole Monitoring works, from sensor to cloud platform
Underground chambers are monitored for unauthorised opening, flooding and gas build up, which are the events that create safety incidents and network damage but are invisible from street level.
01
In the chamber
Field devices and placementCover open sensor
Cover lifted, removed or displaced, with event time
- Placement
- Underside of the manhole cover
- Power
- Battery, multi year
Water level sensor
Level rise, surcharge and flooding inside the chamber
- Placement
- Chamber wall or shaft
- Power
- Battery
Gas and environment probe
Hazardous gas presence, temperature and humidity
- Placement
- Chamber headspace
- Power
- Battery
02
Wireless connectivity
Low power wide area networkLoRaWAN or NB-IoT
Radio performance through a metal cover and below ground is confirmed with test devices before bulk installation. Devices sleep between readings and transmit immediately on an event.
Gateways and network server
Gateways placed above ground on poles or buildings collect chamber traffic. The network server decodes payloads and timestamps every event for incident records.
03
Cloud platform
Storage, rules and reportingPlatform services
Device management, secure ingestion, time series storage, rules and alerting, role based access and open interfaces for integration with the systems already in use.
- Chamber register with location, owner and asset reference
- Unauthorised opening alerts with time and duration
- Water level trend and flood escalation
- Gas and temperature threshold alerting
- Work order handover and incident history
04
Who acts on the data
Operations and reportingControl room
Immediate notification of an opened chamber or a rising level.
Field and safety teams
Chamber condition reviewed before entry, with permit records.
Network owner
Asset condition, intrusion patterns and flood exposure reporting.
What it does
Key Features
Engineered for real-world municipal and operator deployments — built to scale.
Easy installation and dismantling
Our Manhole sensor offers easy installation and dismantling, providing a hassle-free solution for Manhole management. With a user-friendly design and straightforward mounting process, it can be effortlessly installed in various Manhole cover shaps.
Learn more
Supports NB-IoT or LoRaWAN
Our Manhole sensor is equipped with versatile connectivity options, supporting both NB-IoT and LoRaWAN protocols. This dual-support ensures compatibility with a wide range of IoT networks, offering flexibility and scalability in deployment.
Learn more
Long life time
Our Manhole sensor is engineered for longevity, boasting an extended lifespan powered by a robust 38Ah battery. With this high-capacity battery, the sensor can operate reliably for an extended period, minimizing the frequency of battery replacements and ensuring continuous functionality.
Learn more
Advance Sensing Module
These sensors are deployed within the manholes to measure the distance between the sensor and the water surface. Using mmWave technology ensures accurate and reliable water level measurements even in challenging environmental conditions.
Learn more
Real-Time Reporting
Data collected from the sensors, including manhole cover status and water level measurements, is transmitted in real-time via LoRaWAN or NB-IoT connectivity to the central monitoring system. The monitoring system is equipped with alerting mechanisms to notify stakeholders of critical events such as open manhole covers or rising water levels.
Learn more
Hardware
Hardware that powers Manhole Monitoring
Questions
Manhole Monitoring questions we are asked most
- What does a manhole monitoring sensor detect?
- Cover opening or displacement, water level rise inside the chamber, and hazardous gas or temperature conditions in the headspace. Each event is reported with a time stamp for the incident record.
- Does the radio signal escape from under a metal cover?
- Low power wide area radio is designed for difficult propagation, and performance below ground is confirmed with test devices at representative chambers before bulk installation. Gateway placement is adjusted where a chamber is marginal.
- How are alerts handled operationally?
- Alerts are raised in the platform with chamber identity, location and time, and can be routed to a control room or converted into a work order. The event history is retained for safety and asset records.
Related reading: Smart City solutions, wireless technologies and smart cities industry page.
Smart City Specialist
Plan your Manhole Monitoring deployment
Talk to our smart-city architects about pilots, integration, and operations.