Continuous online monitoring of heavy metals helps water authorities, treatment facilities and industrial water users to better understand changes in water quality and respond faster to potential contamination, says water analysis technology company SEIBOLD Wasser owner and MD Rainer Bernert.

Bernert delivered a presentation last month at Electra Mining Africa 2026, where he discussed the role of continuous measurement technology in water management.

SEIBOLD Wasser develops technology for the measurement of heavy metals and other ions in water, with its applications used in mining, drinking water, wastewater and river water monitoring. The technology is represented locally by water instrumentation supplier Royce Water Systems.

Bernert explained that conventional water-quality monitoring often relies on periodic sampling, with water samples collected and sent to laboratories for analysis. While this remains important, continuous measurement can provide a more complete picture of how water quality changes over time.

“If you think about how [to] increase the quality of data received, then you think about continuous measurement over time.”

He cited an example involving nickel monitoring at an effluent stream, in Canada, where periodic laboratory results did not initially identify a problem. Continuous measurements taken over two months, however, revealed fluctuations that enabled engineers to identify and correct a dosing problem.

“It’s not about concentrations only. It’s about the process. It’s about how it evolves, how it repeats, how it turns.”

Bernert added that continuous monitoring can assist with compliance, contamination detection, treatment optimisation and water reuse, which could become increasingly important as South Africa and other African countries address water scarcity, pollution and ageing water infrastructure.

The technology uses colourimetric measurement, in which a chemical reaction produces a colour, and the colour’s intensity indicates a substance’s concentration. SEIBOLD combines this with photonics technology to collect information across multiple wavelengths and monitor how the chemical reaction develops over time.

The system is designed to manage changing water conditions, including variations in temperature, turbidity and concentrations, without extensively modifying the sample before measurement.

“We want to measure the sample as it is and developed the analyser to handle it in its existing condition,” he said.

The technology can compensate for temperature changes and automatically dilutes samples when concentrations exceed the normal measurement range.

Bernert said continuous data can also help operators to identify longer-term trends and changes that might not be visible through individual samples.

The solution’s objective is, ultimately, to provide better information for water managers and operators to improve the processes and manage water quality more effectively.