Satellite telemetry supports flood protection in Scotland

Scotland’s water resources are renowned worldwide and play a vital role in tourism as well as the production and reputation of some of the country’s most important exports. To protect these resources and support effective water management, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) closely monitors rivers and catchments, including tracking long‑term trends such as the impacts of climate change. A key part of this activity is Floodline, a free 24/7 flood forecasting and warning service delivered via telephone and online platforms, providing advance notice of flooding alongside practical advice to help communities prepare. Floodline issues regional flood alerts to raise early awareness across wide areas, as well as targeted flood warnings for specific locations where local communities and emergency responders may be affected.

SEPA’s flood forecasting and warning capability depends on a network of water level and precipitation monitoring stations, many of which are located in remote catchments where communications infrastructure can be unreliable. To address this challenge, the SUTRON SatLink3 – combining data logging with satellite communication – was trialed at a site in Boat of Garten near Aviemore. The system is SDI‑12 compatible and was deployed with an OTT PLS water level and temperature sensor, alongside a raingauge and air temperature sensor, enabling reliable data collection and transmission from a challenging location critical to flood warning operations.