REMOTE PUMP MONITORING HELPS AQUACULTURE FARMER WORK MORE EFFECTIVELY

NLN FARMS, LOCATED IN THE US state of North Carolina, needed to transfer water from four aquaculture ponds to a nearby reservoir. The farm selected Xylem’s Godwin CD100 dewatering pump for the job, with Field Smart Technology, which enables real-time monitoring and control of the pump from a smartphone.

Nick Dotson, a fourth-generation farmer and co-owner of NLN Farms, stays busy managing his family’s farm and working a separate, full-time job. The Dotson farm has evolved over the years, switching from cattle to farm-raised catfsh in the early 1990s and starting with freshwater crawfsh in 2019.

Every summer, Nick needs to drain the crawfsh ponds to provide the right conditions for decaying vegetation, the food source for crawfsh. Transferring water from the farm’s four ponds to a nearby reservoir requires careful planning and an efcient pumping system.

Nick selected Xylem’s Godwin CD100 pump with Field Smart Technology for dewatering the ponds, because enables him to remotely manage the pump from his smartphone – even while he is at his other job.

The cloud-based Field Smart Technology solution means that Nick can precisely control water levels in the ponds, 24/7, to ensure the best conditions for the crawfsh.

“With Field Smart Technology, I don’t have to babysit my ponds,” commented Nick. “I can set specifc alarms to alert me if something needs to be checked, or if my pump shuts down unexpectedly. I can manage the farm on my schedule."

Field Smart Technology keeps a record of all pump activity, including run status, fuel usage, oil pressure
and general engine health. The remote solution provides alarms for engine and pump maintenance, and real-time alerts that enable optimal operation and rapid response to outages or fooding.

“We’re now in the process of closing the crawfsh season for the year, but over the last few weeks, I’ve been transferring the pond water to our main reservoir pond, and the Godwin pump with Field
Smart Technology has done an amazing job during this process,” Nick added.

As part of a generation that grew up with digital technology, Nick looks for smart solutions to solve his business needs. By leveraging Xylem’s Field Smart Technology, NLN Farms has minimised human
resource requirements by automating maintenance and service. This gives Nick the freedom and fexibility to pursue expansion opportunities.

“I am impressed with the capabilities I have with both the pump and Field Smart,” Nick concluded. “We are already looking into expanding in the industry over the next few years, and we look forward to working with Xylem as we continue to grow."