07.11.18
Flanders pioneers the internet of Water, a unique intelligent water management system based on a network of connected sensors, that enables a permanent and real time follow-up of water quality and water quantity. This internet of Water will enable Flanders to tackle the growing threat of water inconvenience, water scarcity and water pollution. Flanders’ Minister-President Geert Bourgeois has activated a first sensor, close to The Blankaart in Diksmuide.
With the internet of Water, Flanders aims to roll-out a large-scale permanent sensor network that maps the available water reserves and monitors the water demand at the same time.
The network, will feature more than 1,000 small, wireless low power water quality sensors (developed by imec) spread around Flanders, that will continuously monitor the quality of soil water, groundwater, surface water and purified sewage water, to better align the available water reserves to the demand.
A pilot project was launched, starting with the first experiments to examine how measurements can be done accurately, to explore the technical challenges to guarantee the reliability and scalability of a broad network, and to determine how to visualize the data and make them available for the public.
A number of prominent companies and research institutions leverage their expertise for this project with a large societal interest. The five partners of this project – VITO, De Watergroep, Aquafin, imec, and Vlakwa – have the ambition to turn Flanders into an international front runner in smart water management through the application of innovative digital technologies.
The sensors are developed by imec, the world-leading research and innovation hub in nanoelectronics and digital technologies.
“After several years of intensive research, imec has succeeded to develop a very small sensor that can measure, acidity and conductivity, as well as quantify diverse dissolved substances in the water. Until now this required a combination of different sensors that could cost up to thousands of euros each,” said Marcel Zevenbergen of imec.
“Innovative self-learning algorithms will process the large amounts of data from the sensors for the permanent and real-time monitoring of water quality and quantity, and also to feed the models that predict future evolutions. Through the VITO dashboards users will be connected directly to the ‘Water brain’ for optimum use of available water,” added Piet Seuntjens, innovation manager at VITO, the Flemish independent research organization in the area of cleantech and sustainable development.
The need for a system to follow-up the quality and quantity of water on a large scale became obvious in the last years. Water inconvenience or water scarcity are issues that almost live permanently in the public opinion today – with the drought of this and last year and the strong thunderstorms of this spring. Therefore the internet of Water is of big importance to various actors in the water business.
“The detailed follow-up of the water system with predictions of future evolutions will allow us to manage the sewage system more efficiently, so that we can better respond to strong showers and periods of drought” says Jan Goossens, managing director of water treatment company Aquafin.
With the internet of Water, Flanders aims to roll-out a large-scale permanent sensor network that maps the available water reserves and monitors the water demand at the same time.
The network, will feature more than 1,000 small, wireless low power water quality sensors (developed by imec) spread around Flanders, that will continuously monitor the quality of soil water, groundwater, surface water and purified sewage water, to better align the available water reserves to the demand.
A pilot project was launched, starting with the first experiments to examine how measurements can be done accurately, to explore the technical challenges to guarantee the reliability and scalability of a broad network, and to determine how to visualize the data and make them available for the public.
A number of prominent companies and research institutions leverage their expertise for this project with a large societal interest. The five partners of this project – VITO, De Watergroep, Aquafin, imec, and Vlakwa – have the ambition to turn Flanders into an international front runner in smart water management through the application of innovative digital technologies.
The sensors are developed by imec, the world-leading research and innovation hub in nanoelectronics and digital technologies.
“After several years of intensive research, imec has succeeded to develop a very small sensor that can measure, acidity and conductivity, as well as quantify diverse dissolved substances in the water. Until now this required a combination of different sensors that could cost up to thousands of euros each,” said Marcel Zevenbergen of imec.
“Innovative self-learning algorithms will process the large amounts of data from the sensors for the permanent and real-time monitoring of water quality and quantity, and also to feed the models that predict future evolutions. Through the VITO dashboards users will be connected directly to the ‘Water brain’ for optimum use of available water,” added Piet Seuntjens, innovation manager at VITO, the Flemish independent research organization in the area of cleantech and sustainable development.
The need for a system to follow-up the quality and quantity of water on a large scale became obvious in the last years. Water inconvenience or water scarcity are issues that almost live permanently in the public opinion today – with the drought of this and last year and the strong thunderstorms of this spring. Therefore the internet of Water is of big importance to various actors in the water business.
“The detailed follow-up of the water system with predictions of future evolutions will allow us to manage the sewage system more efficiently, so that we can better respond to strong showers and periods of drought” says Jan Goossens, managing director of water treatment company Aquafin.
