UMS Team Applies IoT Technology to Monitor Water Quality in Tilapia Nursery Ponds in Sukoharjo

A community service team from Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (UMS) implemented an Internet of Things (IoT) based water quality monitoring system at Sanjaya Aquatic, Grogol, Sukoharjo Regency. The series of activities included outreach, training, installation of the devices at two tilapia nursery ponds, and handover of the technology to the partner.

The program is aimed at helping the operator monitor water conditions in a way that's more practical, continuous, and well documented. The community service program is led by Dr. Ratnasari Nur Rohmah, S.T., M.T., and involves fellow lecturers Mohammad Nasrul Mubin, S.T., M.T., Rizki Nurilyas Ahmad, S.T., M.T., Ari Mukti Wibowo, S.T., M.T., and Dessy Ade Pratiwi, S.T., M.T.

In her statement, Ratnasari said the program doesn't only focus on installing the devices, but also on building up the users' skills.

"This program doesn't stop at installing the equipment. The team also provides training so that the partner understands how to operate the devices, read the data, and carry out checks whenever the system sends a notification," Ratnasari explained on Sunday (6/9/2026).

Sanjaya Aquatic itself is a tilapia nursery business run by Muhammad Firdaus Adi Sanjaya, located at Gg. Tangkil 3, Tangkil Lama, RT 01/RW 07, Manang, Grogol District, Sukoharjo Regency, Central Java. In tilapia nursery operations, water quality needs close attention because changes in temperature, acidity level (pH), turbidity, and water level can all affect the environmental conditions the fry are being raised in.

Before the technology was implemented, water quality monitoring at the partner's site still relied on direct manual checks, wasn't carried out continuously, and didn't produce any systematic data documentation.

To address this need, the UMS team implemented a monitoring system with a multi-node architecture, consisting of two sensor devices and one central device. Each sensor device is placed at one pond to measure temperature, pH, turbidity, and water level, then sends the measurement results via the ESP-NOW protocol to the central device.

"The data received is then forwarded to the Telegram app, so the operator can check the condition of both ponds through a mobile phone without always having to visit each monitoring point in person," she explained.

Ratnasari explained that using ESP-NOW allows the sensor devices to communicate locally without needing an internet connection at each individual pond, since only the central device functions as the link to Telegram.

Beyond displaying measurement results, the system also provides device status checking, alert threshold settings, automatic notifications, and sensor calibration features. When a value is detected that exceeds a preset threshold, the operator can receive a notification and immediately carry out a direct check of the pond's condition.

The activities at Sanjaya Aquatic were carried out by members of the implementation team, present together with a number of UMS students. The outreach and training, attended by six participants, covered an introduction to water quality parameters, how to access data from both ponds via Telegram, checking device status, understanding notifications, and the steps to take when an unusual value is found.

Besides the lecturers, the program also involved a student representative, Alya Putri Garpi Anggelina. She was one of the student representatives involved in developing, testing, and implementing the system, together with other students who helped with device installation, user training, and activity documentation.

After the outreach and training, the implementation team installed the devices at the two ponds and ran tests to make sure the sensors, inter node communication, and the sending of information to Telegram were all working properly. Initial testing showed the system was able to display data from both observation points, with water temperature in the range of 26.6 to 27.6 degrees Celsius and pH in the range of 6.93 to 7.03.

The water level sensor was also able to detect changes in level while water was being refilled at one of the points, while unusual readings still need to be verified through direct checks and periodic sensor calibration.

Sanjaya Aquatic pond used for tilapia nursery breeding. Personal documentation. 

Muhammad Firdaus Adi Sanjaya, owner of Sanjaya Aquatic, said that access to information through Telegram helps the process of monitoring the two ponds that have been fitted with the devices. "This system makes it easier for us to check the water conditions in both ponds through Telegram. The information displayed helps us decide when a pond's condition needs to be checked in person," said Muhammad Firdaus Adi Sanjaya.

The system is used as a tool to support pond management and doesn't fully replace field checks, especially when the device shows a change in value that needs to be confirmed directly.

The activity, carried out on Monday (10/8/2026), is part of the 2026 Community Service Program Based on the Development and Application of Appropriate Technology (P2TTG), run through the Deputy for Community Service and Downstreaming, under the Directorate of Research, Community Service, Publication, and Intellectual Property Center (DRPPS) UMS.

"Once the devices have been handed over, the partner is expected to be able to operate and maintain the system independently, carry out calibration periodically, and use the monitoring information as a factor to consider in managing the ponds. The multi node architecture used also has the potential to be developed to cover more ponds, or replicated at other freshwater fish nursery units with similar needs," Ratnasari concluded.

Writer: Maysali Sudarwati

Editor: Fika Annisa Sholihah

Translator: Farizal Luqman Majid