diff --git a/cli/tjwater_cli/commands_data.py b/cli/tjwater_cli/commands_data.py
index d08b14b..245234b 100644
--- a/cli/tjwater_cli/commands_data.py
+++ b/cli/tjwater_cli/commands_data.py
@@ -29,6 +29,10 @@ def _scheme_type_option(scheme_type: str | None) -> str:
     return scheme_type or "simulation"
 
 
+def _backend_element_type(element_type: ElementType) -> str:
+    return "link" if element_type == ElementType.PIPE else "node"
+
+
 def _validate_element_property(element_type: ElementType, property_name: str, *, option_name: str) -> str:
     valid_fields = timeseries_fields_for_element_type(element_type)
     if property_name not in valid_fields:
@@ -117,7 +121,7 @@ def data_realtime_simulation_by_id_time(
         path="/timeseries/realtime/simulation-results",
         params={
             "id": id,
-            "type": type.value,
+            "type": _backend_element_type(type),
             "query_time": parse_time_with_timezone(time, option_name="--time").isoformat(),
         },
         require_auth=True,
@@ -139,7 +143,7 @@ def data_realtime_simulation_by_time_property(
         method="GET",
         path="/timeseries/realtime/records",
         params={
-            "type": type.value,
+            "type": _backend_element_type(type),
             "query_time": parse_time_with_timezone(time, option_name="--time").isoformat(),
             "property": property,
         },
@@ -218,7 +222,7 @@ def data_scheme_simulation(
         "scheme_name": resolve_scheme(runtime, scheme, required=True),
         "scheme_type": _scheme_type_option(scheme_type),
         "query_time": parse_time_with_timezone(time, option_name="--time").isoformat(),
-        "type": type.value,
+        "type": _backend_element_type(type),
     }
     if query == SimulationQuery.BY_ID_TIME:
         if not id: