IoT Integrated Automatic Water Filter System Using Coarse Filter Media And Upflow Method

Abstract

Currently, many Indonesian people do not have access to drinking water provided by Regional Drinking Water Companies (PDAM) or Regional Public Companies (Perumda). People often use surface water and/or groundwater directly to meet their needs for clean water and drinking water. Therefore, a system that can filter water is necessary to meet the standards for clean water quality. This research aims to develop an automatic water filter system based on the Internet of Things (IoT) that can filter water to achieve a standard water quality. The novelty of this study lies in its application of an automatic backwash system based on predetermined parameters. The research method is based on research and development (R&D), which consists of several systems, namely venturi aeration, filters, automation, and IoT. Venturi aeration functions to oxidize the metal content, allowing it to settle before entering the filter. This is to extend the filter's lifespan. The filter is in the form of a 3-inch-diameter polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe, composed of three types of sand media: silica, green manganese, and activated carbon. Silica functions to reduce turbidity. Green manganese functions to reduce the content of manganese, iron, or hydrogen sulfide, and activated carbon functions to eliminate odors and the yellow color. The automation system comprises a microcontroller, several sensors, and a solenoid valve, enabling the technology device to perform automatic filtration and backwashing. The IoT system includes a microcontroller integrated with each sensor, which can be connected to the internet via a router. This enables the display of reading results from each sensor through the ThingSpeak platform, which is installed on an Android device. Based on the results and discussions, it has been concluded that the resulting prototype is capable of automatically carrying out the filtering and backwash processes. Furthermore, it is also known that there is an improvement in water quality, which includes turbidity, total dissolved solids (TDS), and pH.