Monitoring water levels

The Northern Ireland Surface Water Hydrometric Network monitors water levels on rivers, lough and sea at approximately 100 locations. Modern technology allows transfer of data from these stations to Headquarters automatically by phone, and river levels can be monitored remotely.

Approximately 80 of these gauging stations are situated on rivers for which relationships between water level and river flow are derived; this allows the estimation of flows in those rivers. Water levels and flow data information is employed in flood estimation for flood alleviation and river maintenance works.