LoRaWAN-Based Water Metering for Tata Motors

Client Overview

Tata Motors is a leading global automobile manufacturer, with its Jamshedpur plant being one of the oldest and most significant production facilities in India. The facility is known for manufacturing heavy commercial vehicles and integrates various infrastructure systems to support its large-scale operations.

Problem Statement / Challenges

Manual water meter reading was time-consuming and prone to human error.
No centralized dashboard for real-time consumption data.
Difficulty in identifying abnormal water usage or leakages.
Lack of historical data trends for efficient resource planning.
Limited communication infrastructure in certain areas of the plant.

UniConverge Technologies’ Solution

UniConverge Technologies proposed and implemented a LoRaWAN-based Smart Water Metering System to automate, monitor, and optimize water consumption across the Tata Motors Jamshedpur facility.

Work Scope in UCT Scope

Site survey and feasibility analysis for LoRaWAN connectivity.
Selection and integration of LoRaWAN-compatible ultrasonic water meters.
Deployment of LoRaWAN gateways for full facility coverage.
Integration with UCT IoT Platform for real-time monitoring and analytics.
Backend software development for historical tracking, alerting, and dashboard visualization.
Training Tata Motors' internal team for system usage and basic troubleshooting.
Post-deployment maintenance and remote support.

Implementation Process

On-site survey and signal testing for LoRa coverage.
Installed DIN-mountable water meters with LoRaWAN RS485 converters.
Connected meters to the cloud via secure LoRaWAN gateways.
Mapped real-time data onto UniConverge's cloud-based dashboard.
Configured alerts for high usage, leak detection, and no-flow detection.

Technologies Used

LoRaWAN Gateways: Industrial-grade, long-range gateways.
RS485 to LoRaWAN Converter: For water meter integration.
UCT IoT Platform: Web-based monitoring dashboard.
Cloud Services: Secure data hosting and visualization.
Custom Alerts & Reporting: Trigger-based notifications and downloadable reports.

Outcome / Results

90% reduction in manual monitoring time.
Real-time visibility of water usage from each metering point.
Early detection of anomalies, preventing water wastage.
Centralized dashboard for utility management and reporting.
Historical data enabled better budgeting and planning.

Conclusion / Future Scope

The implementation of a smart LoRaWAN-based water metering system has enabled Tata Motors to digitize their utility monitoring process and move towards more sustainable operations. UniConverge Technologies is exploring further collaboration to expand this solution into energy and gas metering at the same plant.

Interested in smart utility monitoring for your facility?