BEPROACT - Better water quality in Flanders thanks to smart data analysis and internet-of-things

Flanders is a pioneer in smart monitoring of water quality. Thanks to internet-of-things technology, the Flemish Environment Agency (VMM) monitors pollution faster and more precisely. Smart data analysis makes it possible to protect the ecology of our waterways better than ever. As a technical partner, Geosparc helps to realize this. The European Union and VLAIO support the project.

Clean water in our rivers is vital for people and animals. It is also indispensable for industry and agriculture. Heavy rainfall, fly-tipping or even the extinguishing water from a fire pollutes our waterways. Flanders has historically led the way in monitoring water quality and is now the first region to go one step further.

IoT, data and AI at the service of the environment

Probes in our waterways measure, among other things, temperature, pH level, oxygen content, conductivity, turbidity or the concentration of certain substances. The Flemish Environment Agency collects the data and follows up with appropriate actions. Is there an incident? The system then raises a targeted alarm. “New internet-of-things technology makes this approach more efficient,” says Rudy Cautaerts, department head of the Flemish Environment Agency. “Thanks to digital measuring techniques, we can collect data 24/7. We analyze and evaluate this enormous amount of data intelligently so that it has predictive value.”

Thanks to predictive algorithms, the system calculates, for example, the chance of a decrease in the oxygen content in the water with a risk of fish mortality. It then proactively turns on oxygen machines to  keep the fish alive. The technology also helps to more efficiently identify polluters and hold them accountable for damage to the environment. Philippe Vertonghen of VMM: “With smart data processing we trace the location and source of pollution faster and more accurately. It allows us to intervene in a timely manner. When beet pulp from a French sugar factory flowed into the Scheldt after a dam burst, we immediately identified the location of the pollution and how quickly it floated downstream. The  damage was limited.”

Smarter probes

As a technical partner, Geosparc helps set up the IoT platform, built on the open source FIWARE platform. The Ghent company unites experts in internet-of-things technology and specializes in data analysis and artificial intelligence. Geosparc and VMM have previously worked successfully together, including in developing a tracing algorithm that detects toxic wastewater in the sewer. The Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology and Université de Lille are also participating in this new project.

“You make the probes smarter with data technology,” says Tom De Kegel, project leader at Geosparc. “The system issues a more targeted alarm by taking into account, among other things, previous measurements and the environment of the probe. It is necessary to distinguish between natural phenomena and pollution. An example? Increased electrical conductivity of the water can indicate both a higher salinity and the presence of contaminants. Water on the coast is in any case saltier than in Limburg. The system must take this into account. Our algorithms interpret the large amount of data more intelligently. This allows VMM to act in a more targeted manner.”

Working more efficiently and scalability

The probes in the waterways require regular maintenance. “It is not necessary to go on site every two weeks to clean a probe,” says Tars Morel, technical expert at Geosparc. “The data tells you when it is really necessary. The system reports when which repair is required. As a result, the VMM team works much more efficiently.”

This creates space to add new sensors. The goal is to double the number of multi-parameter probes in the coming years, which measure the basic quality of the water via various parameters. More probes monitor the basic quality in a more detailed manner, which benefits the environment. The optimal management also results in a longer service life of the probes.

Flanders is leading the way

The need for good water quality management is great in Flanders. "Historically, Flanders had a problem with pollution," says Ward De Cooman, bioengineer at VMM. “Today our region is at the forefront of water quality management. Climate change requires us to use water wisely, both during drought and heavy rainfall. Abroad, people are watching this new Flemish data technology with interest.”

This is part of BEPROACT, short for 'building an ecosystem to proactively develop data-driven asset management'. BEPROACT is a major innovation project of Interreg Northwest Europe. The goal: to better manage critical infrastructure, such as waterways or highways, with data and proactively prevent problems. This reduces costs and extends the lifespan. BEPROACT unites eleven participants, from universities to governments and expert companies, from five countries that are part of Interreg Northwest Europe. The European Union supports the project with a budget of 6 million euros. The Agency for Innovation & Entrepreneurship Flanders also supports the technology of Geosparc and VMM.

The project runs until March 2027. That is the target date by which the technology will be operational in the Flemish waterways.

BeProAct in Europe

A total of eleven project partners from six different countries are working on the BeProAct project:

• Projectleider: Ministry of Infrastructure and Water management – Rijkwaterstaat (NL)

• Flanders Environmental Agency – VMM (BE)

• Geosparc BV (BE)

• University of Lille – Ulille (FR)

• Burgundy-Franche-Comté Regional Council – Région BFC (FR)

• The Autobahn GmbH of the Federal Government - AdB (DE)

• Federal Highway Research Insitute – BASt (DE)

• Dublin City Council – DCC (IE)

• Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology - LIST (LU)

• Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research – TNO (NL)

• Foundation IMEC Netherlands – IMEC (NL)

More information via https://beproact.nweurope.eu/partners