Wireless, Solar Powered Site Cameras Provide Flood Control Monitoring

The Challenge

Monitoring flood control covering over 1,091 miles of streams, ditches and outfalls.

Established in 1920, Jefferson County Drainage District Number 6 (DD6) services about 53% of Jefferson County, Texas, which includes the city of Beaumont, Bevil Oaks, Cheek, China, Fannett, LaBelle and Nome and surrounding communities including remote farmland and timberland—an area almost 1/2 the size of Rhode Island. DD6 controls storm and flood waters from over 1,091 miles of streams,rivers, ditches, outfalls, and drains and reclaims overflowed lands.

The DD6 team wanted to cut down on the travel time required to reach critical drainage and water control sites at the Mayhaw Structure and Needmore Structure. They decided that a remote real-time camera would provide the ability to monitor water levels while significantly reducing travel from the offices to the sites. DD6 also wanted to provide 24 hour security monitoring on the downstream side of the Needmore Structure to monitor any and all approaching nautical traffic. Given the remote location of the sites and lack of power and internet, a self-powered camera solution was required.

DD6 settled on Sensera Systems, selecting both the solar-powered MC-68 for general site monitoring, and the solar-powered SiteWatch-PRO camera for site security

The Solution

Portable, solar/wireless cameras simplify installation and adapt to fast-moving projects

“I selected the Sensera Systems MC-68 for monitoring requirements at these sites, and the SiteWatch-PRO to monitor nautical traffic approaching the structure. These cameras had the solar and cellular operation we needed for this application, and the high quality pictures and video were useful to us. The cell service at these sites fluctuates a great deal, which can slow image uploads. But the cameras have been robust in that regard. The SiteWatch-PRO camera motion detection works very well for capturing all vessel traffic nearing the structure.”

—Stephen LeBlanc, Project Inspector, Jefferson County Drainage District NO 6, Beaumont ,TX

DD6 has deployed Sensera Systems’ MC-68 and SiteWatch-PRO solar/wireless site cameras that include 100% solar operation 24/7, with time-lapse, live video streaming, built-in DVR, LiveView, and motion detection and night vision features.

Turnkey Solution

square Complete end-to-end solution — Camera hardware, cellular data connectivity, cloud-hosted servers, and ease of use software are all provided in one complete package.

square Solar-powered, LiFePO4 Batteries — No on-site power required. System is energized by the sun and powered at night by a lithium ion phosphate battery pack. Camera can run on battery power for up to 5 days.

square Real-time, remote monitoring — Leverage robust remote surveillance and monitoring to ensure safety and productivity when you can’t be on-site.