ISO 24155:2016

Overview

ISO 24155:2016 - "Hydrometry - Hydrometric data transmission systems - Specification of system requirements" - defines the technical and functional requirements for designing and operating hydrometric data transmission systems (HDTS). The standard focuses on system-level performance and functionality (not individual equipment specifications) needed to collect, transmit, verify, process and store hydrometric and telemetry data used for water-resources management, flood/drought forecasting and public-health monitoring. The scope and typical system configurations are provided in Annex A, and several informative and one normative annex (Annex G on VHF/UHF radio link design) support practical implementation.

Key topics and technical requirements

ISO 24155:2016 covers mandatory and optional system requirements and addresses the following technical topics:

• Functional requirements - minimum (mandatory) vs. optional functions; alignment with legal and user needs.
• Geographical structures - siting of remote telemetry stations, receiving centres and relay stations.
• Time structures - sampling intervals, time-series handling and allowable timing errors for real‑time operations (see Annex E).
• Remote telemetry stations - data measurement, local data processing and installation considerations.
• Telemetry system - data transmission intervals, collection sequences, communication links and network architecture.
• Receiving centre functions - data verification, processing, storage, display and reporting.
• System monitoring and alarming - operational status monitoring, alarm handling and fault detection.
• Power supply and maintainability - reliable power solutions, maintainability and operational documentation.
• Design considerations - reliability, safety, data permanence, maintainability, operability and economy.

Informative annexes (A–F, H–J) provide configuration examples, block diagrams, station location guidance, sensor interfaces, data sequences, communication link options, network architectures, repeat methods, and power-supply considerations.

Applications and practical value

ISO 24155 is directly applicable to organizations that implement or operate hydrometric telemetry networks for:

• Flood early-warning and forecasting
• Drought monitoring and water-resources management
• Real-time river/stream flow and water-level monitoring
• Water-quality and public-health surveillance
• Reservoir and infrastructure operation

Using ISO 24155 helps ensure consistent, interoperable and reliable HDTS architectures that support accurate real‑time decision-making, data integrity and long-term data archiving.

Who should use it

• Hydrologists and water-resources managers
• Telemetry and SCADA engineers
• System integrators and equipment vendors
• Environmental and emergency-response agencies
• Standards and compliance officers in water utilities

Related standards

• ISO 772 (Hydrometry - Vocabulary and symbols)
• ISO 80000-1 (Quantities and units)
• ISO/IEC 2382 (Information technology - Vocabulary)

Keywords: ISO 24155, hydrometry, hydrometric data transmission systems, HDTS, telemetry, remote telemetry stations, receiving centre, real-time hydrometric data, flood warning, water-resources monitoring.