3 rd International Conference on Water & Flood Management (ICWFM-2011)

INTEGRATED WEB-MOBILE PHONE APPLICATION FOR WATER

QUALITY MONITORING AND ALERTING SERVICES

Kamruzzaman Khan1* , Andreja Jonoski2 and Adrian D. Almoradie3

1
Sub-Divisional Engineer, Planning-III, Bangladesh Water Development Board, Dhaka-1000,
Bangladesh, e-mail: akkhan01@yahoo.com
2
Senior Lecturer, Department of Hydroinformatics and Knowledge Management, UNESCO-IHE,
Delft-3015, The Netherlands, e-mail: a.jonoski@unesco-ihe.org
3
PhD Fellow, Department of Hydroinformatics and Knowledge Management, UNESCO-IHE,
Delft-3015, The Netherlands, e-mail: ian_almoradie@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT
Efficient management of water resources requiring real time bi-directional flow of information
between managers and users needs usage of modern ICT with recent advent of mobile phone
technology. Current research aims to make step in this regard by developing an integrated web-
mobile phone application for the purpose of geo-referenced information dissemination and
alerting services focusing on the bathing water quality of lakes in the case study area of Brabantse
Delta, The Netherlands, using latest open source tools. For mobile phone development part the
Google Android platform is used with augmented reality functionality (Layar).
Monitored/Measured water quality data are used for the application, which are made available
via map based interface and with time series graphs. The integrated application is also designed
to receive and process user feedback on water quality in terms of text and data from mobile phone
to the web. The application can be effectively used for monitoring and updating water quality data
and also can help users to take decision for their activities relating to water quality.

Keywords: Water quality monitoring and alert, web-mobile phone application, map-based
dissemination, Google Android, Layar, user feedback.

1. INTRODUCTION
Use of web as well as mobile phone technology has become obvious for the modern, fast life.
Today’s daily activities even can not be imagined without the use of these technologies. Rapid
flow of information is a crucial requirement for the engineers and managers, especially for
supporting their decision making process. Various applications on the web and on mobile phones
are becoming the primary means for delivering such support. The fields of water and the
environment are one of the most important sectors in this connection because they are very
versatile and characterized with complex decision making process, often associated with
uncertainty. Because of these characteristics, these fields can greatly benefit from the diverse and
sophisticated possibilities offered by the latest web- and mobile phone technologies for application
development.
Current research work aims to explore and test an instance of the application of latest open source
web-mobile phone technology in the water and environment field, specifically by conducting a
case study related to bathing water quality in dutch lakes.

1.1 About the case study

The area selected for the case study is in the Dutch part of the Meuse basin and more specifically
in the area of Brabantse Delta located in the Province of Noor-Branbant, the Netherlands (Figure
1). Rapid growing urbanization, industry and agriculture in the Province cater a negative impact
 3 rd International Conference on Water & Flood Management (ICWFM-2011)

on its environment especially on water quality. There are numerous recreational lakes that are used
intensively during summer. Bathing water quality of the lakes sometimes drops below health risk
thresholds. The bathing water is mainly threatened by algae and external inflow of polluted water
(LENVIS, 2009).

Figure 1: Water Board Brabentse Delta, Noord-Brabant Province, The Netherlands

(http://www.actoranalysis.net/i-five/case_3_en.php), bathing in Brabantse Delta and blue algae in
Dutch fresh water

2. METHODOLOGY
Measured water quality and quantity data of the lakes are supplied from the field by the Water
Board of Brabantse Delta for the use in the modelling as well as alerting purposes. These data are
processed and stored on the server. Mobile phone and web-based alerting system are developed to
provide the latest bathing water quality information based on measured data and model results.
in a map based platform. User feedback sent from the field via mobile phone both in text format
(for general users) and data format (for authorized user professionals) are collected and displayed
on the web along with the monitored and modelled data. The Figure 2, presents the general
framework of the research work.

Figure 2: General framework of the application

For each part of the development, attention is given especially to choose free available open
source, while still most capable technologies. Following sections discuss the methods and
technology selected and used.
 3 rd International Conference on Water & Flood Management (ICWFM-2011)

2.1 Web Application

To develop the web application for water quality alerting services, the most recent open source
web technologies are used. Methodological sequence with the list of technologies for web
development is presented in Figure 3.

2.2 Mobile Phone Application

Google Android (2008) is the latest powerful mobile platform to build application using Java
programming and is used in the present study as the core tool for developing mobile phone
application for alerting services. It offers a rich set of functionalities, such as location and map-
based development and easy connectivity with web-based resources. Moreover, augmented reality
technique (Layar-2009) is introduced for the location specific water quality information displaying
on the user mobile phone screen in the field. Other supporting technologies used and steps taken to
develop the mobile phone application are presented in Figure 4.

Exploring Apache (XAPP) Exploring Android SDK

Web Web Development Google Android Eclipse ADT
technology tool (AlleyCode)

Web Language Progrmming

(JavaScript, Language (Java)
HTML,PHP)

Structuring Water Qualty

Structuring Google Application in Data on Server
Google Water Qualty
Platform on Browser MapView Emulator
Maps Data on Server

Include WQ Include WQ
AJAX Alerting lnformation Feedback
Alerting
Data JSON and Signal Data
lnformation
and Signal

Actual Application Prof. Users

Public on Mobile device
Publication

Figure 3: Web development methodology Figure 4: Android mobile phone development

methodology

3. APPLICATION DEMONSTRATION

3.1 Study lakes

Fifteen lakes of Brabantse Delta are included in the study for which data are available for a period
of last five years. The yearly collected data ranges for the bathing period of April to September.
These data are prepared to be used in the application. Figure 5 shows the location of these lakes.
 3 rd International Conference on Water & Flood Management (ICWFM-2011)

Figure 5:Brabantse Delta and its lakes

3.2 Presentation of Historical/Measured data

The application is implemented with a user friendly interface both on the web and on Google
Android mobile phone. The following sections present the monitoring and alerting services
implemented in the integrated application.

3.2.1 On the Web

The screenshot below (Figure 6) shows a view of the web application. On the left side of the page
a brief description of the application is presented. The actual monitoring and alerting services are
placed on a Google map centred in the middle of the page, with the legend to its right. The legend
presents the marker icons used in the map for different alerting conditions. The lower part of the
page contains weather forecast feed from an external source, dedicated space for show the time
series graphs of the selected data and latest user feedback messages.
The opening map (upon loading of the page) shows alerts based on measured E-coli, which is the
indicator parameter used for bathing water quality according to EU Bathing Water Directive
(2006). Alerting information is formulated on the basis of available monitored data for the current
day and last week available data. Beyond this range a message will be displayed stating “No
recent”. The data type and parameter can be selected from the dropdown menu above the map
window.
Initially latest messages coming from all lakes are shown on the message displaying window
(lower right corner of the page). After selecting a lake marker within the map, the alerting
information is shown in the small information window associated with the marker. The
information contains the lake name; date, parameter name and value of parameter with its limiting
standard and unit. At the same time the user can instantly see the entire historical data on a
Google -powered time line draggable graph with limits relative to the selected lake and parameter.
Simultaneously, the message window changes in such a way that the user can see the messages for
the selected lake only. These same functionalities are available for any other selection of the 22
parameters included on the dropdown menu with measured data.
 3 rd International Conference on Water & Flood Management (ICWFM-2011)

Alert
information

Message for
selected lake

Timeline graph

Figure 6: Web application view after selecting a lake via a map marker (available at
http://hikm.ihe.nl/MSc/khan)

3.2.2 On Android Mobile Phone

The initial view of the developed Android mobile phone application presents the user with three
tabs: the first tab is for introduction and welcome to the application; the second tab leads to the
presentation of monitoring or measured data in graphs and for displaying alerts based on E-coli
values; the third tab leads to interfaces for sending feedback message both in text and data format.
However, data message are only allowed to be sent by authorized professional users. The
following screenshots demonstrate the operation of Android phone application in Figure 7.

Figure 7: View of phone application up to display of graph and alert

Table 1: Alerting information and display sign for mobile phone
Date Date value Value range Display value Alert
condition
Current day ‘Today’ Within limit Value Good
Beyond limit Value Bad
Any day of last week Actual date Within limit Value Good
Beyond limit Value Bad
Beyond last week ‘Outdated’ ‘Outdated’ Undefined
 3 rd International Conference on Water & Flood Management (ICWFM-2011)

3.3 Dissemination of Warning

As indicated earlier, dissemination of alerts for water quality of lakes is included in both the web
and mobile applications. Alerts are based on recent data and limiting standard of water quality
parameter. E-coli is the main indicator parameter for bating water quality as suggested by EU
bathing directive and considered on both applications.

3.3.1 Provision of alert sign

In the web application various icons are used to give alerts. These are presented below in Table 2

Table 2: List of Alert Signs for usage on the web

Time span Criteria of Alerts Sign used

Parameter value
Current day Within limit Good

Beyond limit Bad

Any day of last Within limit Good-Week

week
Beyond limit Bad-Week

Beyond last week No recent data

3.4 Dealing with User Feedback

Provision of feedback from users is implemented in the mobile phone application. With the
developed application users can send their response from the field through their Android powered
handset. Their response is sent to the central server, from where it can be retrieved for display in
the web application. Detailed descriptions of these functionalities are presented below.

3.4.1 General Text Message

As already introduced, the third tab of the mobile application deals with sending feedback
messages from users both in text and data formats Sending general text message is designed for all
users. They can send current specific information about a particular lake. The text message option
is selected from the ‘Message type’ dropdown menu (text message type is the default selection). In
the next step the user has to select a lake from a dropdown list of lakes. Finally after typing the
message in the text edit box, it can be sent just by clicking the ‘Post it’ button. If the message
reaches the server a confirmation message will appear on the mobile screen (Figure 8). Thae same
message will instantly be displayed in the web application.

3.4.2 Data Message

Sending of data messages is designed for updating data records, which is only allowed for an
authorized professional user. Such user authentification is not yet implemented in the mobile
phone application, and currently same procedure is applicable for sending data message except for
extra selection of parameters for which data needs to be sent. This selection is activated after the
selection of message type as ‘Data’.
Demonstration screenshots for feedback messages sending and updating web alert are presented in
Figure 8 and Figure 9.
 3 rd International Conference on Water & Flood Management (ICWFM-2011)

Figure 8: Writing and sending feedback messages from phone

Updated Alert

Annotation Sent message

here

Figure 9: Update alert and plot with received data

The sent data message is not displayed on the web at the same location with the text messages.
Instead it appears on the time series graph as a data point, with an indication that it represents data
sent from mobile phone, annotated as ‘MobileData’ (Figure 9).

3.5 Use of Layar on phone

ANo

Another novel feature of the mobile application is the introduction of “Layar’ i.e. the augmented
reality technology. It is operated by an extensive usage of GPS functionality. With this feature all
lakes are traced from any location on the mobile screen through the use of the handset camera. The
latest condition of the lake can also be displayed on the screen (Figure 10). In radar view, the
relative position of all available lakes are dispayed. The exact distace of the aimed lake from the
phone position can be observed with meterage accuracy, hence helps to choose suitable lake for
bathing with respect to its water quality condition.
 3 rd International Conference on Water & Flood Management (ICWFM-2011)

Radar
view
Distance range with
accuracy

Aimed lake
with distance

Condition of
lake

Figure 10: Trace of lakes using Layar

4. CONCLUSIONS
Latest and advanced technology has been used to develop the integrated web-mobile phone
application with various fascinating and useful functionalities related to the case study on bathing
water quality alerts. The aspects of the alerting services in the developed application has been
quite successful. These have been complemented with the functionality of updating data via
mobile phone as feedback from the users in the field and generating and disseminating alerts based
on combined data provision.
The developed demonstrator can be effectively used for monitoring and updating water quality
data. In consequence, it can help the user to take decisions from the alerting functionality of the
application for their day-to-day activities relating to the quality of water. The integrated
application may include water quality forecasting services as well when sufficient relevant data
and subsequent modelling output will be available. Nevertheless, it allows pertinent reconstruction
to cope with specific localized conditions and considerations in fields like flood warning,
information dissemination on outbreak diseases, traffic congestion, etc. Concept can be applied to
developing countries for management of crisis response especially after natural disaster.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Author is much thankful to UNESCO-IHE especially the department of Hydroinformatics and
Knowledge Management to carry out the research for MSc degree, to the LENVIS EU FP7
research project for offering support and providing the case study and finally to the Rijkwaterstaat
for fund.

REFERENCES
Android, (2008), Google Android, http://code.google.com/android/.
EU Bathing Water Directive (2006), [online] available at
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/water-bathing/index_en.html#2006
Layar, (2009), Layar Reality Browser, http://layar.eu/.
LENVIS, (2009), D8.1. LENVIS Case studies definition-V01, Localized environmental and health
information services for all project, LENVIS.
Waterchap Brabantse Delta (2008), Evaluatie zwemwater Binnenchelde 2008, in Dutch, English
title: Evaluation bathing water Binnenschelde.