Xylem to showcase autonomous surface vehicles for river health, water quality and flow monitoring
Visitors to WWEM 2026 will have the opportunity to get up close to one of the most talked-about innovations in environmental monitoring, as Xylem showcases the Surfbee Autonomous Surface Vehicle (ASV) on Stand WW-L84.
Developed by Australian robotics specialist Surfbee Hydrobotics and introduced to the UK through an exclusive partnership with Xylem, the Surfbee is a remotely operated and autonomous drone boat designed to transform how water quality, flow and river health data are collected.
As environmental monitoring requirements continue to increase across the UK water sector, utilities, regulators, researchers and environmental organisations are seeking safer, smarter and more efficient ways to gather high-quality information from rivers, reservoirs and other inland waters. The Surfbee addresses this challenge by combining autonomous navigation with Xylem's market-leading monitoring technologies.
Compatible with YSI EXO water quality sondes and SonTek acoustic profiling instruments, the compact platform can collect detailed water quality, flow and bathymetric data while operating in locations that may be difficult, costly or potentially unsafe to access using traditional monitoring methods.
The technology has already been demonstrated extensively across the UK and is now being adopted by several water utilities. During field deployments and customer training events, Xylem specialists have demonstrated how operators can quickly create GPS-guided survey missions using a simple Android-based controller, enabling efficient collection of high-resolution environmental data.
James Chapman, Environmental Solutions Business Development Manager at Xylem, said:
"Using the Surfbee app on an Android controller, we can map precise GPS-controlled missions for high-quality ADCP flow discharge and water quality data collection. It represents a significant step forward in water quality and flow monitoring and opens up exciting opportunities to gain new insights into river and environmental performance."
Growing public and industry attention on river health has highlighted the importance of reliable environmental monitoring. Recent media coverage surrounding UK Rivers and recreational water use has demonstrated the increasing demand for accurate, evidence-based environmental data. While assessments of water quality remain the responsibility of water companies and environmental regulators, technologies such as Surfbee provide the detailed information needed to support informed decision-making, Section 82 sonde siting and effluent mixing surveys & environmental improvement programmes.
At WWEM 2026, visitors will be able to discover how autonomous monitoring platforms are helping organisations:
- Monitor river water quality
- Measure flow and discharge
- Investigate environmental hotspots
- Support reservoir and catchment management
- Optimise Section 82 monitoring programmes
- Improve sonde deployment and effluent mixing studies
- Support ecological research and environmental assessments
With autonomous navigation, live video streaming, 5G connectivity and seamless integration with Xylem monitoring equipment, the Surfbee represents an exciting new approach to gathering the environmental intelligence required to support healthier rivers and smarter water management.
Visit Xylem on Stand WW-L84 at WWEM 2026 to see the Surfbee ASV and discover how autonomous sampling is shaping the future of river health assessment.
