AWARE Low Water Crossing Monitoring System
Automated, real-time water level detection at roadway crossings — delivering instant flood alerts, solar-powered autonomous operation, and cloud-based monitoring for DOTs, counties, and emergency management agencies.
Flooded Crossings Are Dangerous — Manual Monitoring Can't Keep Up
Low water crossings are among the most hazardous roadway features during storm events. Water levels can rise to dangerous, impassable conditions within minutes — but many agencies still rely on staff-driven manual road closing techniques and phone-based reports to make closure decisions.
That reactive approach puts crews in harm's way, delays critical closure decisions, and leaves the public exposed to life-threatening flood conditions. The AWARE Low Water Crossing Monitoring System replaces manual, in-person closure cycles with continuous, automated water level detection and threshold-based alerting — giving your team the intelligence to act before conditions become critical.
Road department staffing schedules cannot match the speed of rising flood conditions. Every minute of delayed closure is a window of risk for motorists approaching unsafe crossings.
Sending crews into active weather events to close crossings is expensive, resource-intensive, and puts personnel in the same dangerous conditions they're assessing.
Without automated sensors, operations centers have zero real-time awareness of water conditions at remote crossings during the critical hours of a storm event.
Continuous monitoring, instant threshold alerts, and a centralized cloud dashboard give emergency managers real-time information — without the risk of manual inspection.
Built for Infrastructure-Grade Performance
Engineered for continuous, unattended operation in remote and demanding field environments across all weather conditions.
Continuous Water Level Monitoring
Submersible Water Level Pressure Sensors (WLP) and optional non-contact radar sensors deliver uninterrupted, high-accuracy water level readings at every monitored crossing — 24 hours a day, year-round.
Instant Threshold Alerts
Configurable flood-stage alert thresholds trigger automated notifications the moment water levels reach your defined action points — enabling immediate road closure decisions without manual observation.
Cellular & Satellite Connectivity
Integrated cellular and satellite modems ensure reliable data transmission even at remote crossings where terrestrial network coverage is limited or unavailable during storm conditions.
Solar-Powered Operation
Each field node is a solar-powered unit with integrated battery, enabling fully autonomous, off-grid deployment at crossings where no utility infrastructure exists.
Cloud-Based Dashboard
The S.H.I.E.L.D. ⛊ Cloud Platform provides a centralized, web-based interface for real-time monitoring of all sites, historical data trending, configurable alert thresholds, and automated reporting tools.
Proven Field Durability
AWARE field units are engineered to withstand repeated flood exposure, harsh environmental conditions, and remote deployment scenarios — built to the rugged standards demanded by DOT and emergency management programs.
From Field Sensor to Informed Decision — in Real Time
Five integrated steps connect your remote crossings to your operations center — automatically, around the clock.
Detect Water Levels
Submersible Water Level Pressure Sensors (WLP) or non-contact radar sensors continuously measure water depth at the crossing and report to the AWARE communications node.
Transmit via Cellular or Satellite
The solar-powered AWARE LWC node transmits water level and environmental data to the S.H.I.E.L.D. ⛊ Cloud Platform in real time via integrated cellular or satellite modem.
Automated Closures & Sirens
When water levels exceed configured thresholds, AWARE automatically triggers road closure signals and siren activations — a key requirement for SB3 compliance in Texas and similar state mandates.
Monitor via Cloud Dashboard
Dispatch, operations staff, and emergency managers access real-time water levels, historical trends, and site status on the S.H.I.E.L.D. ⛊ web dashboard from any device.
Trigger Alerts & Continue Monitoring
Automated alerts notify designated personnel. Operations staff continue to monitor conditions, manually trigger additional alerts, and coordinate ongoing response actions.
Designed for the Agencies That Keep Roads Safe
Purpose-built for the operational environments and accountability standards of public sector transportation and emergency management.
County & Municipal Low Water Crossing Management
Automate flood monitoring across multiple county road crossings and eliminate staff-driven manual closures.
State DOT Roadway Flood Monitoring Programs
Support statewide roadway flood detection mandates with scalable, networked sensors on a centralized statewide platform.
Emergency Management Flood Response
Give emergency managers real-time situational awareness during active weather events to coordinate faster public response.
Bridge & Culvert Water Level Surveillance
Monitor water elevations at bridges, box culverts, and drainage structures to detect rising conditions and take action to prevent structural failures from plugged culverts, debris dams, and storm-driven damage.
Rural & Remote Road Infrastructure
Deploy autonomous, solar-powered nodes at geographically isolated crossings with no existing power or connectivity infrastructure.
Dam Tailwater & Spillway Crossing Monitoring
Continuously track water levels below dams and at spillway road crossings to support real-time operational safety awareness.
Complete End-to-End Low Water Crossing Monitoring
An integrated solution combining purpose-built field hardware, robust communications, and a full-featured cloud monitoring platform.
AWARE LWC Communications Node
- Solar-powered field unit with integrated battery for autonomous, off-grid operation
- Integrated cellular and/or satellite modem for reliable data transmission
- Onboard data logger for local storage and redundancy
- Supports water level sensors and environmental sensor inputs
- Transmits real-time data to the S.H.I.E.L.D. ⛊ Cloud Platform
- Military-grade equipment rated for harsh outdoor and flood-exposure environments
Water Level Pressure Sensor (WLP)
- The AWARE WLP is ideal for continuous in-water measurement at roadway crossings
- High-accuracy water level readings at road crossing elevations
- Rated for full submersion under flood-stage conditions
- Continuous data stream delivered to the LWC communications node
Non-contact radar for above-surface detection — ideal for high-velocity or debris-laden flow environments where submersible sensors are impractical.
S.H.I.E.L.D. ⛊ Cloud Platform
- Web-based dashboard accessible from any device, anywhere
- Real-time water level monitoring across all deployed sites
- Historical data trending and long-term record retention
- Configurable alert thresholds per site and sensor
- Automated multi-channel notifications (email, SMS)
- Reporting tools for operations, compliance, and documentation
County Emergency Management: Replacing Manual at 12 Crossings
A county emergency management office needed automated monitoring at 12 low water crossings to replace costly, dangerous staff-driven manual closures and reduce delayed road closure decisions during major weather events.
AWARE LWC communications nodes were deployed at all 12 crossings with Water Level Pressure Sensors (WLP) and site-specific flood-stage alert thresholds — streaming real-time data to dispatch and public works via the S.H.I.E.L.D. ⛊ Cloud Platform.
Automated alerts enabled road closure decisions within minutes of threshold conditions. Manual closure requirements were significantly reduced, personnel exposure was minimized, and public safety response during storm events was markedly improved.
System Specifications — AWARE Low Water Crossing System
All system configurations are developed in consultation with the deploying agency to match site-specific operational requirements.
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Power Source | Solar photovoltaic panel with integrated battery; fully autonomous off-grid operation. Panel and battery capacity configured per site solar resource and transmission interval requirements. |
| Connectivity | Cellular (4G LTE) and/or satellite modem; connectivity type selected based on site coverage. Dual-path configurations available for critical or redundant deployments. |
| Water Level Sensor — Primary | AWARE Water Level Pressure Sensor (WLP); continuous water level measurement; rated for full submersion under flood conditions. Measurement range and accuracy available upon request. |
| Water Level Sensor — Optional | Non-contact radar sensor for above-surface detection. Suitable for high-velocity, debris-prone, or installations where submersible sensors are impractical. |
| Data Transmission Interval | Configured per deployment requirements. Supports real-time continuous reporting through user-defined periodic intervals during normal and storm conditions. |
| Monitoring Access | Web-based S.H.I.E.L.D. ⛊ Cloud Platform; accessible from any internet-connected device via standard browser. No specialized client software required. |
| Automated Closures & Sirens | Automatic triggering of road closure signals and siren activations on threshold exceedance. Supports SB3 compliance requirements in Texas and similar state mandates. |
| Alert Thresholds | User-configurable per site. Supports multiple threshold tiers (advisory, warning, closure) with independent notification routing per tier. |
| Notification Methods | Automated alerts via email and SMS. Alert recipients configurable per site and threshold level. Additional notification integrations available upon request. |
| Data Logging | Onboard data logger provides local storage for redundancy. Historical data retained and accessible via the S.H.I.E.L.D. ⛊ Cloud Platform for trending and reporting. |
| Enclosure / Durability | Military-grade weatherproof enclosure rated for outdoor installation and repeated flood exposure. Specific IP rating and mounting configurations available upon request. |
| Deployment Environment | Remote, off-grid roadway crossings; rural and urban infrastructure sites; bridge and culvert locations; dam tailwater and spillway crossings. |
| Scalability | Single-site to multi-site network deployments supported. Centralized monitoring of distributed crossing networks from a single dashboard interface. |
| Installation | Configured per site requirements. AWARE engineering team provides deployment specifications and remote commissioning support. On-site installation available. |
ⓘ Final engineering values and full system documentation are available upon request from AWARE Monitoring Systems Inc. engineering staff.
Ready to Automate Your Low Water Crossing Monitoring?
Our engineering team works directly with DOTs, county agencies, and emergency management offices to design and deploy monitoring systems configured for your specific crossings, alert requirements, and operational environment.
Serving DOTs, county agencies, emergency management offices, and public works departments nationwide.