Six years ago, Van Walt was commissioned to install a telemetered network of water level sensors and meteorological parameters in 41 locations across a 5000 acre site of both farmland and marshland. The installation included 38 DataNodes which all pinged their data to 3 centrally located DataHubs. Six years later and the project is complete.

We had already calculated the decommissioning service in during the early stages of planning. We knew this day was coming long before we even got initial site access.

Our decommissioning objectives:

• Remove all equipment whether above or below ground
• Backfill all holes
• Ensure that there is no evidence of any installation

Much has changed since 2020. The project has changed hands over time to other consultancies, our technology has evolved and the DataHub has since retired and we have expanded our team of field technicians. But one thing has always remained consistent….the data upload to the cloud. Till last week, these data loggers were still logging and uploading hourly to vanwaltCONNECT.

It must be said that David and Max did have a slight helping hand from the farmer during the decommissioning process, albeit not to Van Walt’s standards. There were a few casualties of DataNodes and sensors where heavy handed machinery pulled the equipment apart.

All evidence of the installation has gone, and we are very proud to have contributed to this grand scale project. Removing all footprint of the equipment, including well pipes and casing, has been an important task. The equipment will eventually also be repurposed by the customer. We have left the site how we found it six years ago… intact.

You can find more pictures and details of the initial installation here.