FABRICATION AND PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF A SEMI -AUTOMATIC WATER LEVEL DETECTOR USING AN NE555 TIMER FOR IRRIGATION AND DOMESTIC WATER STORAGE

Efficient water management requires simple, reliable, and affordable systems for monitoring water levels in storage tanks and irrigation reservoirs. This study presents the design, fabrication, and performance evaluation of a low-cost water-level detection system based on an NE555 timer integrated circuit and conductive probes. The system was developed to provide a semi-automatic indication of predetermined water levels and to support improved management of domestic and irrigation water-storage facilities. Two conductive probes were positioned at selected levels within a water container and connected to an NE555-based switching circuit. The presence of water between the probes reduced the electrical resistance of the sensing path and initiated a change in the output state of the circuit. The prototype was constructed on a Vero board using locally available components, including an NE555 timer IC, 1 kΩ and 100 kΩ resistors, a 2.2 µF/16 V capacitor, green and yellow light-emitting diodes (LEDs), a buzzer, conductive probes, and a 9 V DC power supply. Component verification was carried out using a digital multimeter, while functional testing was performed by direct probe contact and by immersing the probes in water. The prototype responded consistently to the presence of a conductive path between the probes, with the indicator LEDs illuminating when the probes were bridged. The results demonstrate that the proposed system provides a simple and inexpensive approach to water-level detection for small-scale irrigation and domestic water-storage applications. Nevertheless, the performance of conductive sensing depends on water conductivity and may be affected by electrode corrosion, mineral deposition, and prolonged exposure to water. Future development should incorporate corrosion-resistant electrodes, relay-based automatic pump control, microcontroller-based monitoring, and wireless communication to improve the functionality and scalability of the system.