Balikpapan  – Students from Institut Teknologi Kalimantan (ITK) have developed AQUA-SENSE, a prototype system for monitoring post-biofiltration Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) quality using Internet of Things (IoT) and Fuzzy Logic technology. The innovation is designed to make water quality monitoring faster, more measurable, and available in real time.

AQUA-SENSE was developed by Naufal Tiarana Putra from the Informatics Study Program as team leader, together with Ferry Ramadhan from Mechanical Engineering and Almar’u Zaim Mizan from Electrical Engineering. The project was supervised by Dr.Eng. Lusi Ernawati, S.T., M.Sc.

The innovation was developed in response to the issue of Acid Mine Drainage, which has a high level of acidity and can negatively affect the environment if not properly managed. Through AQUA-SENSE, the team combines physical water treatment with a digital monitoring system to determine water conditions after the biofiltration process.

The biofiltration process uses four main media: silica sand, manganese, zeolite, and activated carbon. Silica sand helps filter suspended particles, manganese supports the removal of metals, zeolite absorbs dissolved metal ions, while activated carbon helps remove organic substances, reduce odor, and improve water clarity.

After passing through the biofiltration process, water quality is monitored using three main parameters: pH, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), and turbidity. The sensors are connected to an ESP32 microcontroller, while the data is processed using Mamdani Fuzzy Logic with 33 rules to determine the water quality status.

The system classifies water into three categories: “Suitable for Use,” “Requires Treatment,” and “Not Suitable.” All data is displayed in real time through an IoT dashboard, including parameter values, quality scores, water status, trend graphs, and measurement history.

During testing, Acid Mine Drainage before filtration received a score of 14 and was classified as Not Suitable. After the biofiltration process, the score increased to 95 and was classified as Suitable for Use. Meanwhile, an alkaline water sample received a score of 55 and was classified as Requires Treatment.

Through AQUA-SENSE, ITK students aim to develop a water quality monitoring system that not only measures water conditions but also provides an automatic assessment of its suitability. The system is expected to support more efficient environmental management in mining areas while reducing the need for direct inspections in locations with potential operational risks.

The development of AQUA-SENSE also demonstrates interdisciplinary collaboration between Informatics, Mechanical Engineering, and Electrical Engineering in addressing real-world challenges through technology. The innovation represents one of ITK students’ efforts to apply their knowledge in creating solutions that are more efficient, adaptive, and impactful for both industry and the environment.