Why started the project

This project was initiated to assist my father in monitoring and managing the water supply. Previously, he had to manually check the water level each morning and ensure that water was still flowing from a natural spring source. If the flow stopped due to sediment blockage or airlocks, he would need to manually insert a hose and perform a backflush to clear the lines. Although we installed a sediment screen at the spring house to reduce the debris, small particles and airlocks would still occasionally block the system. This project aims to automate the monitoring and backflushing process to reduce the need for manual intervention and improve system reliability.

Overview

The system is designed to monitor the water level in the spring house and the flow of water from the spring. The system will also back flush the water lines if the flow stops. The system will also alert the user if the water level is low or if the flow has stopped

How it works

Utilizing an Arduino as the brain, the system monitors the water level and flow via a tilt switch, float, and a water flow sensor. When the water level falls low enough the tilt switch makes contact and the water level input pin on the Arduino is pulled low. This pin is read by the Arduino, relay 1 is then activated thus activating a servo that switches the position of a 3-way water valve blocking flow into the holding tank and opening access to the water lines. Five seconds later the Arduino activates relay 2 turning on a pump. This pump feeds water back into the water line backflushing the lines and removing all sand and airlocks. After running for one minute relay 2 deactivate turning off the pump. After 5 seconds relay 1 deactivates, this activates the 3-way water valve moving it back into its home position allowing water from the spring to once again flow into the holding tanks. The system also has a manual mode where at any time the sequence of operation can be performed when desired.