Protecting motorists with real-time water-level monitoring and automated access control

A low-lying roadway beside a council-owned car park in Frankston is vulnerable to flooding during periods of heavy rainfall. When water rises across the road, vehicles leaving the car park can enter hazardous conditions with little warning.

As part of the site’s flood-risk controls, Melbourne Water required a monitoring and protection system to be installed. Frankston City Council needed a reliable solution that could detect rising water levels and automatically prevent vehicles from exiting the car park until conditions were safe.

Minnovation delivered a customised FLOODGUARD™ system that connects a dedicated water-level sensor to the car park’s roller door over LoRaWAN. The result is an automated flood-protection system that can respond immediately—without waiting for council staff to identify the hazard and intervene manually.

The challenge

The project presented several operational and engineering requirements:

• Detect rising water at the flood-prone roadway in real time.
• Automatically restrict vehicle access when the water reaches a defined danger level.
• Communicate reliably between the water-level sensor and a roller door approximately 500 metres away.
• Integrate with the existing roller-door controls and relevant fire-safety systems.
• Retain manual override capability for authorised council staff.
• Record system status and flood events for ongoing monitoring and reporting.
• Satisfy Melbourne Water’s requirement for a flood-protection system at the site.

A conventional wired connection between the roadway and car park would have been difficult and costly to install. The system also needed to operate as a dependable safety control—not simply generate an alert that still required someone to take action.

The solution

FLOODGUARD™ provides continuous water-level monitoring and automatically controls the car park’s roller door when flood conditions are detected.

A purpose-built water-level sensor monitors conditions at the roadway. When the water reaches the configured trigger level, the sensor sends a signal over LoRaWAN to the car park control system. The roller door then closes, preventing vehicles from exiting onto the flooded road.

Once the water falls below the safe reset level, the system can reopen the door and restore normal access. Council staff can also monitor the system and manually override the door when operational or emergency circumstances require it.

How FLOODGUARD™ works

1. Continuous water-level monitoring

A dedicated sensor measures the water level at the flood-prone location. UFLOODGUARD™ responds to direct water-level measurements, providing a clear and dependable trigger for protective action.

2. Automatic flood response

When the measured water level reaches the predetermined danger threshold, FLOODGUARD™ automatically initiates the site’s safety response. The car park roller door closes to stop vehicles from entering the affected roadway.

3. Long-range LoRaWAN communication

The sensor is located approximately 500 metres from the roller door. LoRaWAN provides the long-range, low-power communication needed to connect the two locations without extensive cabling or dependence on conventional network infrastructure.

4. Safe restoration of access

When the water level returns to a safe range, the system can reopen the roller door and allow normal vehicle movements to resume.

5. Manual control and safety integration

Authorised council staff retain manual override capability. The solution was also engineered to work with the site’s existing roller-door and fire-safety controls, ensuring that automated flood protection does not compromise emergency requirements.

6. Live visibility and event reporting

A customised dashboard displays current water-level status, component health and roller-door state. It also records flood detections and door activations, giving the council a reliable history of how often the system has responded.

Engineering around the site

Integrating flood monitoring with existing infrastructure required more than installing a standalone sensor. Minnovation developed a customised interface between FLOODGUARD™, the roller-door mechanism and the site’s safety controls.

LoRaWAN addressed the considerable distance between the detection point and the car park while avoiding the disruption and expense of a new wired connection. The control logic was designed to provide an immediate automated response while preserving council oversight and manual control.

This closed-loop approach transforms water-level data into direct protective action. The system does not merely notify staff that flooding may be occurring—it actively prevents vehicles from being directed into the hazard.

The impact

FLOODGUARD™ gives Frankston City Council a faster and more dependable way to manage flood risk at the site.

Key benefits include:

• Improved motorist safety: Vehicles can be prevented from exiting onto a flooded roadway.
• Immediate response: Protective action begins as soon as the water reaches the configured threshold.
• Reduced reliance on manual intervention: The site remains protected even before staff arrive or become aware of the event.
• Reliable long-range operation: LoRaWAN connects the water-level sensor and roller door across approximately 500 metres.
• Operational flexibility: Council staff retain visibility and manual override control.
• Better flood intelligence: Historical event records help the council understand the frequency and duration of flood conditions.
• Compliance with site requirements: The installation fulfils Melbourne Water’s requirement for a flood-protection system at the location.

A proactive approach to flood resilience

For flood-prone infrastructure, an alert alone may not be enough. Effective protection requires accurate detection, reliable communication and an immediate response that limits exposure to danger.

By connecting real-time water-level monitoring directly to the car park’s access controls, FLOODGUARD™ provides Frankston City Council with an automated layer of protection. The system helps keep vehicles away from hazardous floodwater, supports Melbourne Water’s requirements and gives the council better visibility of conditions at a vulnerable location.

Need to protect a flood-prone road, car park or facility? Contact Minnovation to discuss a water-level monitoring and automated flood-response solution.