A hydrometer installed on the Zena at Farneto

CAE is a company based in San Lazzaro di Savena that works in Italy and worldwide to address the risks arising from hydro-geological instability. For 47 years, it has been at the side of administrations and authorities responsible for managing emergencies and safeguarding the population, infrastructure and environment. The company now employs 115 people to design, create and service reliable and effective systems for real-time monitoring, decision-making support and alerts during emergencies.

“Following the flood of 19 October 2024 that hit the Zena Valley, and in particular the “Farneto” locality, we wanted to do something useful and concrete for the community and the area of which we are a part. That is why we decided to give the municipality a rainfall and water level station with camera on the Zena river, along which there was no monitoring point,” says General Manager Giorgio Bernardi. He continues: “This station will provide rainfall and water level data and images of the river in real time. This data is essential to make informed decisions during an emergency, but also in the long term, to study possible hydraulic works to be carried out to increase the safety of the population.”

The station is installed on the Farneto bridge along the SP3 to monitor the water level of the Zena river 24 hours a day, and is equipped with:

• CompactPlus data logger;
• WLR/s radar hydrometer;
• PG10 rain gauge;
• camera.

The station, which has been active since November, will supplement the regional watercourse detection and monitoring system, which did not include any specific monitoring for the Zena river until now.

“This monitoring station is a fundamentally important tool for us because it finally allows us to understand the hydrometric situation of the river in real time and with reliable data,” explains mayor Marilena Pillati. “This is no small thing if we consider that during the last two floods, the greatest damage to our area was the result of the Zena overflowing, which, unlike the Savena and Idice, has never had dedicated monitoring. Today, thanks to CAE's donation, we have overcome this shortcoming and will be able to act even more effectively in emergency situations.” “Our hope,” adds Sara Bonafè, deputy mayor and councillor for local defence and care, “is that we will now think about monitoring upstream on the Zena as well, to create an even more effective control system for the benefit of Farneto residents as well as those living further downstream, since the waters of the river flow into the Idice.”

The rainfall and water level station with camera is powered by solar energy and contains an internal storage battery that ensures it can operate even during foggy days. Its data is available to the municipality's technicians 24 hours a day, and will soon be entered into the regional alert management network in order to provide full monitoring of a new watercourse.


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