Capabilities / Services

Manly Hydraulics Laboratory (MHL) has been a leader in environmental data capture and presentation via the internet since the early 1990s. MHL captures the data in the field which is then transmitted via a telemetry network to a central management system for further analysis and presentation in near real time via the World Wide Web. The laboratory's hydrographers, data analysts and project managers are located across offices in Lismore, Coffs Harbour, Sydney, Mittagong, and Wollongong, allowing fast response time for environmental projects.

Environmental data collected by MHL contributes to Floodplain, Coastal and Estuary Management Plans, infrastructure and urban planning, extreme event analysis, weather warnings for emergency services, public health notices, and to general state of the environment reports. Data we collect are also used for operational and licence compliance purposes by water utilities, government agencies and corporate clients.

MHL collects a wide range of environmental parameters, including

• Flood levels
• Flow and discharge (in water, sewer & stormwater systems)
• Wave height, periods & direction
• Flow velocities & currents
• Tides and water levels
• Groundwater
• Tsunami
• Stormwater
• Rainfall
• Water quality (grab sampling, alarm triggered, and long-term time series)
• Barometric pressure
• Wind
• Sediment coring

A well designed environmental monitoring program can help define and prioritise management actions. Coupled with a state of the art data presentation system via the web, environmental management decisions are made easy.