Small Satellite and Multi-Sensor Network for Real Time Control and Analysis of Lakes Surface Waters Nader Gallah Microelectronics & Instrumentation Lab University of Monastir Monastir, Tunisia Nader_9280905@hotmail.fr Kamel Besbes Microelectronics & Instrumentation Lab University of Monastir Monastir, Tunisia kamel.besbes@fsm.rnu.tn Abstract— Collecting samples manually and sending them to the laboratory for analysis represents the traditional method of water quality testing. However, nowadays, it has been unable to fulfill the needs of water quality. An innovative project has been initiated to monitor floods and water quality in Tunisia in order to meet the current water resources management automation and remote monitoring requirements. It presents an application for the international space project initiative HumSat and GENSO network. The aim of this initiative is monitoring the environment of our planet. This system consists of three segments: spatial segment including the constellation HumSat, ground segment entailing the ground station and user segment which contains platforms and scientific users. The platform is equipped with multi-parameter sensors of water quality testing, GPS, microcontroller, communication module and other accessories. Various parameters such as level and water quality can be detected under the control of these platforms all the day. This instrument collects the hydrological information and sends it to the satellite. The download of this data is obtained by ground station included in GENSO network. Finally, users will retrieve the data via internet. The real time data will be acquired and processed for statistic, analysis, curve and well management for surface water in Tunisia. In this paper, we discuss the use of space technology in the hydrodynamic and physico-chemical data collection on the Tunisian territory. This system presents many benefits such as hydrological forecasting and operation of hydrological networks as well as the possibility to launch scientific experiments related to water to hydrologists. Keywords—monitoring; analysis; surface water; ground sensor; nanosatellite I. INTRODUCTION At present, the situation of water pollution is getting worse in Tunisia. Water is a vital issue for all people of the world, for agriculture, for cattle breeding and conservation of nature. İts conservation, decision-marking related to the management of hydraulic system for flood control, production of hydroelectric energy, drinking water, irrigation …, are needed with a resolution sufficiently precise, real time and remotely [1]. How to monitor effectively and accurately water quality on a large scale by different technics has become a worldwide topic [2]. The traditional monitoring of surface water mainly relies on collecting samples manually, this kind of method is low- efficiency and hard to use on a large scale. Anthony Ethier et al. [3] developed a real time water quality Buoy for Fraser River Estuary as a joint initiative between Environment Canada and the British Columbia. In this system the Oceanographic- Data-Acquisition System (ODAS) buoy was modified to include both standard meteorological and multi-parameter water quality sensors, as well as instrumentation needed to collect whole water and extract large volumes of water using Solid Phase Extraction (SPE) for the collection of Persistent Organic Pollutant (POP) samples; Gregory Hitz et al.[4] developed a novel autonomous surface vessel (ASV) which was designed and manufactured specifically for the monitoring of water resources in Lake Zurich; Mo Deqing et al.[5] developed automatic measurements and reporting system of water quality based on GSM in north China. This system gets the data, then processes and analyzes them. After that, the data are instantaneously sent to monitoring center by GSM network in the form of SMS; Dong He et al. [6] developed the water quality monitoring system based on Wireless Sensors Network (WSN). This paper presents a flood and surface water quality monitoring system in Tunisia, through the introduction of the new nanosatellite technology and the development of a network of sensors on platforms unsinkable and dispersed by a mesh suited to measure, saving the data and transmitting them in real time. II. MISSION OBJECTIVES The principle objectives of this mission are: • Floods identifiying and monitoring in real-time and remotely on the Tunisian territory. • Surface water quality monitoring (turbidity, conductivity, dissolved oxygen…) This mission presents other secondary goals such as: • Collecting statistical data on the behavior and growth of flood in our country. 155 978-1-4673-6396-9/13/$31.00 ©2013 IEEE