What could be simpler than generating electricity for municipal water monitoring systems from the flow of the water itself? That’s the breakthrough idea of Israel’s HydroSpin.

HydroSpin in action.

Hydroelectricity is among the cleanest of today’s clean energies. As water flows through a hydraulic turbine connected to a generator — often at a dam — its kinetic energy creates electricity, and it emerges at the other side no worse for the wear. This is a wonderful way to produce power in places blessed with raging rivers.

Israel isn’t, which would make it an unlikely place for a breakthrough in hydroelectric technology. But HydroSpin, based at Kibbutz Lavi in northern Israel, has come up with a new way to power a “smart water network” (SWAN) by marshaling the flow of water in pipes.

“Our system generates one to five watts of electricity,” says HydroSpin CEO Gabby Czertok. “That’s enough to power a network and send the data forward every five minutes or so, instead of once a day in other smart water network systems.”

Water shortages require managers to keep an eye on leaks and water quality, while too much rain can overwhelm water distribution and sewer services. SWANs ensure that every drop is accounted for, with sensors providing real-time data on leaks, water pressure, usage and water quality.

Most SWANs run on batteries, but sooner or later, batteries die and have to be replaced or recharged. That’s a major hassle and expense, and since SWANs do not constantly update servers, a problem in a water or sewage system could remain undetected for days because of a dead battery — sort of defeating the point of the SWAN.

One solution is batteries that can be recharged via attached solar panels. But Czertok says that solar energy doesn’t play well with SWANs. “There is a major problem with theft of the solar panels and batteries, and the sensors on the network are disabled when their power source is removed.”