For many years, septic tanks across South Australia’s wastewater network relied on manual inspection. Technicians would drive to the site, lift heavy lids, and make visual checks to decide if a tank needed emptying. The approach was safe enough in the early days when flows were low, but as development grew, the margin for error shrank. Missed timings risked overflows, while unnecessary truck rolls cost money and time.
To address this, SA Water partnered with Australian IoT provider Kallipr on a project designed to automate septic tank monitoring across its network. The trial involves equipping tanks with Kallipr’s Captis Recharge telemetry device paired with radar sensors. Instead of sending technicians to lift lids, the system now measures tank levels automatically and transmits data every 15 minutes. The live feed gives SA Water and its haulage contractors real-time visibility, replacing guesswork with actionable intelligence.
“Visual indicators worked when there were only a few tankering transactions each day,” Shannon Uern, SA Water’s Manager of Wastewater Planning, said. “But as volumes increased, we needed far more accurate intelligence to avoid running right up to the spill point.”
SA Water explored a range of alternatives before settling on this approach.
Uern explained that his team had long experience with different depth and velocity measurement technologies, but these were not the right fit for septic applications.
“We don’t need flow measurement in this case, just depth measurement,” he said. “What we wanted was a device that could give us reliable millimetre-level readings at a cost we could justify.”
Earlier attempts with other instruments had either lacked reliability in harsh environments or carried higher overheads. By contrast, the Captis Recharge offered a practical balance of accuracy, durability, and affordability.
Why septic tank level monitoring matters
Across the network, SA Water manages around 50 septic tanks. Each one once relied on guesswork and regular truck deployments. Today, the numbers are already substantial.
“We are doing approximately 130 loads per week at this stage, and that figure is forecast to increase significantly as more developments connect,” Uern said. “Without accurate monitoring, each of those trips has the potential to be mistimed, either arriving too early when the tank doesn’t yet need emptying, or too late when it risks spilling.”
Those 130 weekly trips translate into hundreds of hours of driver time, fuel, and vehicle wear.
As volumes grow, the costs compound quickly. Septic tank level monitoring gives SA Water a way to match fleet effort to genuine demand, rather than running trucks on best guesses.
Technology delivering real-time benefits
At the core of the project is a simple pairing: a radar sensor measuring tank depth, and Kallipr’s Captis Recharge telemetry unit transmitting that data back to a cloud interface. The sensor sits inside the tank, while a small solar panel above ground powers frequent transmissions. Data is captured every five minutes and aggregated into a 15-minute update cycle, offering reliability in a portable, remote setting without the overhead of SCADA.
“The radar sensor collects the level measurement, while the Captis device transmits the data every 15 minutes over a cellular network,” Stelios Trikoulis, Chief Commercial Officer at Kallipr, said. “Because the data refresh is so frequent, we used a small solar panel to power the unit. The form factor makes it easy to install without major infrastructure.”
For SA Water, the real breakthrough lies in how this technology reshapes operations. The utility developed a secure portal that gives haulage contractors direct access to live tank data.
“We’ve set up a simple traffic-light system. Green is fine, orange is alert, red is critical,” Uern said. “The haulers can schedule their trucks based on real intelligence. That means sending the right size truck at the right time, instead of making educated guesses.”
The benefits extend well beyond scheduling. Contractors report greater efficiency and fewer wasted trips. The monitoring has also exposed hidden issues: stuck pumps, customer leaks, and stormwater intrusion, all revealed through abnormal tank behaviour. These insights allow SA Water to intervene earlier, preventing minor problems from escalating by the time wastewater reaches a treatment plant.
From trial to broader network value
What began as a targeted fix for septic tanks is already part of a larger strategy. SA Water has rolled out smart sensing programs across its sewer and water networks for overflow prevention, asset planning, and stormwater management. Integrating septic tank level monitoring was a natural step.
“This is why it was so straightforward for us,” Uern said. “We already had the design platforms and reporting systems in place. Adding another use case was an extension of technology we knew and trusted.”
For Kallipr, the lesson is equally valuable.
“If utilities are starting from scratch, low-hanging fruit like this is a great first step,” Trikoulis said. “You’re automating a manual task, which makes the business case easy to stand up. Once the systems are in place, adding new use cases becomes much simpler.”
Looking ahead for utilities
The success of septic tank level monitoring points to a wider trend in wastewater management. Portable, cellular IoT devices are filling the gaps that SCADA cannot reach — particularly in remote, temporary, or portable assets.
“I think we’ll continue to see new use cases emerge,” Trikoulis said. “Every few months, teams look at the technology and find another way to apply it. These devices help digitise processes that were previously manual, giving utilities the smarts to make informed decisions.”
For SA Water, the focus is clear.
“Tankering has been quite reactive,” Uern said. “Now, with portable sensing, we can manage interim solutions more intelligently. Within months, we expect to more than double the number of sites using these devices.”
The project demonstrates how incremental innovation can deliver real-world savings and operational certainty. By combining reliable sensors with a practical data platform, SA Water has transformed a long-standing operational challenge into an opportunity for smarter planning.
“This approach has worked extremely well for us,” Uern said. “It gives our haulers the intelligence they need, reduces wasted effort, and provides us with valuable insights we never had before.”
For more information, visit kallipr.com and sawater.com.au