TracWater: Securing Water Safety with Cloud-Connected Robots

Len McKelvey 

TracWater Managing Director

Globally, drinking water utilities face a common challenge: how to guarantee safety with monitoring methods designed for the last century. Manual grab sampling and laboratory testing capture only a handful of monthly data points. They miss countless fluctuations determining whether water remains disinfected and safe as it travels through vast distribution networks. This gap brings compliance risks, regulatory scrutiny and, in some cases, serious threats to public health.

TracWater, an Australian innovator in real-time water quality monitoring, is changing that reality. Combining robotic sensors, wireless telemetry and cloud-based analytics provides utilities, industries and remote communities with continuous, geo-mapped insight into water safety and performance. Instead of waiting for lab results, operators receive actionable intelligence every five minutes, evidence they can use to respond faster, optimise disinfection and protect consumers.

“Water quality cannot be left to guesswork between occasional samples. Real-time monitoring is the only way to ensure safety and compliance, and that’s exactly what we deliver,” says Len McKelvey, Managing Director. 

Not all monitoring systems are built the same, and TracWater never aimed for average. Early on, the team recognised that no single group could bridge sensors, cloud and utility operations. Sensor makers understood chemistry but not connectivity. IT firms knew cloud but not water. Utilities knew their networks but struggled to integrate both. The result was complexity and oversight too slow to protect public health.

TracWater removes that barrier with autonomous robots. Compact, battery-powered and portable enough to fit in a suitcase, they measure pH, chlorine, turbidity, dissolved oxygen and conductivity in real time. Units deploy in minutes, transmit almost instantly and work in any weather without mains or solar power. Data streams via 4G or stores offline until connection resumes, whether in a remote desert, a Southeast Asian jungle or a major city.

The breakthrough lies not in collecting more data but in turning it into intelligence. TracWater dashboards process billions of measurements, applying ML to detect anomalies, predict risks and trigger alarms the moment water quality drifts under storm, flood or cyclone. Clear, interactive visuals give operators the assurance they need to act fast.

“Real-time monitoring transforms utility operations. Continuous oversight provides early warnings that prevent public health crises. Robotic systems eliminate the need for sampling crews and their associated costs, while delivering 24/7 data that optimises chlorine use, cuts water losses and keeps utilities compliant,” adds McKelvey.

While many anticipate 5G, TracWater relies on 4G as today’s global standard, balancing bandwidth and coverage where risks are highest. Satellite options like Starlink extend reach, and localised networks support niche use cases. All transmissions are encrypted end to end. Raw and engineered data remain within national borders, meeting compliance needs, while ISO 27001 certification secures data and reputation.

Accessibility, too, defines the business model. Patents span the UK, USA, Europe, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Vietnam and Australia. Beyond devices, TracWater delivers complete business systems through licensing and technology transfer, enabling partners to scale quickly with ongoing support. Over a decade, this approach has produced the Southern Hemisphere’s largest set of real-time water data—billions of measurements that refine ML models and sharpen risk prediction.

One of Australia’s largest utilities, serving more than two million residents, piloted a few TracWater robots alongside its grab sampling program. Continuous monitoring revealed chlorine frequently dropped below safe thresholds, undetected by traditional methods. With visibility restored, the utility engineered targeted solutions, including secondary chlorination stations, and now prepares for a network-wide deployment.

TracWater’s innovation extends into energy and gas. Its MeterTrac platform uses the same cloud backbone to track power use in entertainment centres, sports complexes and public buildings circuit by circuit, helping operators detect fluctuations that affect critical equipment. This expertise traces back to early projects, from linking a Queensland food plant to U.S. engineers in 2009 to deploying campus-wide systems in California.

Today, TracWater unifies water, power and gas monitoring on one wireless, cloud-based platform, a capability that recently earned it a spot among nine technology companies chosen for an Australian Government trade mission to India.

For utilities, the benefit is clear. As networks integrate with energy and smart-city infrastructure, a single platform improves efficiency, resilience and visibility. TracWater believes the future depends on partnership, not purchase-and-walk- away transactions. Cooperative models give utilities proven technology and expertise, while TracWater gains operational insight from real-world networks. The result is a symbiotic exchange that strengthens compliance, safeguards communities and sets a sustainable path forward.