AlertCap by TeraCode, supplied in the UK by AQUAIOTWashroom drain flood prevention
Catch a blocked drain before the washroom floods.
AlertCap fits into an existing drain cleanout and watches the water level inside the pipe. When standing water starts to rise, your team hears about it while the blockage is still in the pipe, not on the floor.
- No pipe cutting
- No wiring
- LoRaWAN
- IP68 sensor puck
- QR code commissioning
5 mmMeasurement resolution
IP68Sealed sensor puck
LoRaWANNo Wi-Fi needed
The problem
Most washroom floods start as a blockage that nobody could see.
Drain lines run under slabs, behind walls and inside service chases. Between cleaning rounds nobody checks them, so the first sign of trouble is usually water on the floor. The wipes and fats behind public sewer blockages pass through your building’s own drains on the way.
300,000
Sewer blockages happen in the UK every year, costing the country around £100 million.
Source: Water UK, 2017
94%
Flushed wet wipes contribute to 94% of sewer blockages across the UK.
Source: Water UK, May 2026
£200m
Water companies spend around £200 million a year removing wet wipes from sewers.
Source: Water UK, May 2026
May 2027
England bans plastic wet wipes on 19 May 2027, but plastic-free flushable wipes are not covered and can still block pipes.
Source: Water UK, May 2026
How it works
It fits where the drain is already open to you.
AlertCap is a sealed ultrasonic sensor puck, factory-fitted inside a standard PVC cleanout cap. It replaces the plug you already have, so the only access it needs is the access point your plumber uses today.
Fit it by hand.
Pull the battery tab, take out the existing cleanout cap and fit AlertCap with the transducers facing down. Nothing is cut, wired or modified.
It measures the water surface.
Dual ultrasonic transducers measure the distance down to the water inside the pipe and report it over LoRaWAN at a set interval.
Normal use is filtered out.
TeraCode’s AppThing platform learns each drain’s normal pattern and ignores routine events such as flushes and sink use.
Rising water raises the alert.
When standing water keeps climbing above the baseline, the platform flags a developing blockage and runs the response you chose.
Detection logic
The alert fires on standing water that keeps rising.
A flush sends a short surge down the pipe and then drains away. A blockage leaves water standing in the pipe, and the level climbs with every use of the washroom above it. That steady rise is the signal AlertCap is built to catch.
- Thresholds set manually, or by the AI engine from each sensor’s own history
- Configurable reporting interval
- Flushes and sink use filtered out automatically
- Hibernate mode for sites that close
Your response
You decide what happens when a blockage starts.
Each drain can run one response or all three. A small site might only need a text to the caretaker. A busy estate can send the work order and close the supply at the same moment.
Notify
A text or email reaches the right person.
SMS or email goes to the facility engineers, store managers or plumbers you name for that drain.
Dispatch
A work order is raised automatically.
A ticket is created in your third-party work order or maintenance system so a plumber is sent without a phone call.
Shut off
The water supply closes on its own.
An electronic solenoid valve closes the supply to the affected washroom over the wireless network, so the flood never starts.
AlertCap eventsExample feed
Example feed for illustration. Locations and times are not real data.
Data can also be pulled into your own facilities management platform through the API, next to the rest of your AQUAIOT monitoring.
Where it fits
It is built for washrooms that the public depends on.
Anywhere a washroom flood closes a floor, a store or a ward is a place where an early alert gives your team time to act.
Retail and grocery
Customer and staff washrooms in stores, where a flood can close the shop floor.
Hospitality and venues
Hotels, bars and entertainment venues with heavy use at peak hours.
Airport terminals
High-footfall washroom blocks that run from first flight to last.
Stadiums and conference centres
Event-day surges that push drains hardest when crowds are largest.
Healthcare estates
Patient and staff washrooms and utility rooms where closures affect care.
Laboratories and pharmaceutical sites
Drain lines where a backup can reach controlled or sensitive areas.
Offices and corporate campuses
Multi-floor buildings where a washroom flood on one level soaks the ceilings, desks and electrics on the floors below.
Not sure it fits your site?
Tell us about your washrooms and drain access. We will say honestly whether AlertCap is the right tool.
Why AQUAIOT
We handle the UK side, from survey to support.
AlertCap is TeraCode’s product. AQUAIOT is the engineering team that gets it working in your building, alongside the leak, level and water quality monitoring you may already run with us.
Site survey and fit check
AlertCap is made for standard 4 inch and 6 inch PVC cleanout fittings. UK drain access points vary, so we confirm the fit on site before anything is ordered.
Coverage planning
We pick the drain lines that carry the most risk and plan LoRaWAN gateway coverage for the building.
Installation and commissioning
Each unit is fitted by hand and commissioned by scanning its QR code, with the location recorded against the drain.
Alerts, integration and training
We set the response for each drain, connect the data to your systems through the API and train your team.
AlertCap sensor puck. Photo: AQUAIOT.
The product
AlertCap is a sealed sensor that ships ready to fit.
The sensor puck is rated IP68, sealed with a Viton gasket against sewer gas, and its electronics are conformal-coated for life below grade.
- Dual ultrasonic transducers
- 5 mm measurement resolution
- LoRaWAN, OTAA or ABP, Class A
- EU868 among supported bands
- ABS and PC housing
- CE, FCC and RoHS
Questions
These are the questions facilities teams ask first.
What is AlertCap?
AlertCap is a flood prevention sensor made by TeraCode. A sealed ultrasonic sensor puck is factory-fitted inside a standard PVC cleanout cap. It measures the water level inside a drain pipe and reports over LoRaWAN, so a developing blockage can be flagged before the washroom floods. AQUAIOT supplies, installs and supports it in the UK.
Does AlertCap fit UK drains?
AlertCap is made for standard 4 inch and 6 inch PVC cleanout fittings. UK drain access points vary from building to building, so we confirm the fit on a site survey before anything is ordered.
Will every flush trigger an alarm?
No. The AppThing platform learns the normal flow pattern of each drain and filters out routine events such as toilet flushes and sink use. It raises an alert when standing water keeps rising above the established baseline.
Does AlertCap need Wi-Fi or mains power?
No. AlertCap is battery powered and transmits over LoRaWAN, which runs independently of the building Wi-Fi and IT network. The manufacturer rates the battery at approximately five years.
What happens when a blockage is detected?
You choose the response. It can be an SMS or email to designated staff, an automatic ticket in a third-party maintenance system, or the wireless activation of an electronic solenoid valve that closes the water supply to the affected washroom.
Can AlertCap data go into our own facilities platform?
Yes. API access is available for integration with third-party facilities management platforms.
Speak to an expert
Tell us about your washrooms and we will plan the rest.
An AQUAIOT engineer will look at your drain access, the washrooms that carry the most risk and how you want to be alerted.
- Site survey and fit checkWe confirm your cleanouts suit AlertCap before any order.
- Installation and commissioningFitted by hand, commissioned by QR code, tested on site.
- One monitoring partnerAlertCap alongside your leak, level and water quality monitoring.
Prefer to talk? Call 02392 233611 or email info@aquaiot.co.uk.
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