Water quality is a growing area of research, with more and more focus in the UK and globally on environmental issues and water quality. Current methods of monitoring environmental data such as air quality have continued to develop, spurred on by the growth of the Internet of Things. However, water quality monitoring mainly still depends on manual sample collection. This research presents the first implementation of a multi-hop underwater radio frequency sensor network using bowtie antennas combined with the 433 MHz frequency and a controlled flooding routing approach. The experimental work was conducted in the water reservoir and demonstrates the potential of multi-hop routing in underwater sensor networks to extend range to 19 meters as well as improvements on communication distances from 7 meters previously to 17 meters using radio frequency communications in an underwater environment. Simulated results show that the experimental platform used could enable the long-term deployment of an underwater wireless sensor network that used RF for periods of over a year with support for a 100 sensor node network broadcasting twice daily remaining active for 418 days or a 100 sensor node network broadcasting hourly remaining active for 406 days before any node deaths.

In 2016, there were 317 serious water pollution incidents in the UK, with 78,000 locations where businesses discharge controlled quantities of pollutants into rivers; therefore, continuous monitoring is vital. Since 1998, the environment agency has taken over 50 million water samples for water quality monitoring. The Internet of Things has grown phenomenally in recent years, reaching all aspects of our lives, many of these connected devices use wireless sensor networks to relay data to internet-connected nodes, where data can be processed, analyzed and consumed. However, Underwater wireless communications rely mainly on alternative communication methods such as optical and acoustic, with radio frequencies being an under-exploited method. This research presents real world results conducted in the Leeds and Liverpool Canal for the novel use of the 433 MHz radio frequency combined with a bowtie antenna in underwater communications in raw water, achieving distances of 7 m at 1.2 kbps and 5 m at 25 kbps.

Geosmin contamination in water is a leading cause of odor related complaints to water companies in UK, tainting water with an earthy smell that is detectable by humans in quantities as low as 4 nanograms per liter. Current Geosmin detection methods depend on lab-based equipment, requiring samples to be collected and transported before Geosmin can be tested. This research presents a novel method for the detection of Geosmin in water using Microwave spectroscopy capable of detecting differentiating between four levels of Geosmin contamination: 5 ng/L, 10 ng/L, 0.5 mg/L and 1 mg/L as well as control samples. Frequencies within the 5.4 GHz to 5.9, 6.4 GHz to 6.5 GHz and 7.2 GHz to 7.5 GHz ranges showed significant separation between the sample classes.