IoT in Helsingborg: Digital system decides when to water the football pitches

Not only does it make the work easier to carry out, but it also saves water

The Swedish city of Helsingborg is something of a pioneer when it comes to innovation and experimenting with urban design. In that context, it has decided to bet on the use of the Internet of Things (IoT) and integrate that cutting-edge technology in carrying out public services.

One such case is the use of a digital system that helps employees with the maintenance of the local football pitches. More specifically, it shows when it is time to water and fertilize the terrain of the pitches and in the process, it optimizes the use of water.

Here’s how it works

“The service saves both time and money,” says Thomas Huldt, business developer and IOT product owner at the City of Helsingborg. “The service helps to reduce the amount of water used and saves time for the staff. They no longer have to go out and check if the football pitches need to be watered, and they can take care of them when necessary.”

The pitches are equipped with turf sensors which send out an indication of the moisture and temperature of the ground to the maintenance employees’ smartphones. This actually saves time because before that the workers had to walk around and manually measure these parameters with other tools.

"The ground temperature is important in the spring. It must be six to eight degrees in the ground for the grass to start growing. It is not worthwhile for us to fertilize before then," says Christian Olofsson, sports facility manager.

On the mobile phone, the groundskeepers also see how much rain has fallen in the past week and what the weather forecast is for the coming days. In this way, they can better plan pitch care and avoid watering unnecessarily.

The new service thus helps to save on water, electricity, transport costs and fertiliser. It also contributes to greener lawns later in the season.