Recently, the NOS reported that the water quality at 164 Dutch swimming locations was rated insufficient. This is not an isolated incident: the effects of climate change and the increasing presence of chemical substances in the environment are structurally deteriorating the quality of our swimming water, rivers, and surface waters. This directly impacts public health and the production of reliable drinking water.

 

Key challenges and how we contribute to solutions:

 

    1. Blue-green algae due to warm and dry summers
      • In collaboration with Sanitas Water, we investigate misconnected sewers in neighborhoods, which often lead to blue-green algae problems. For example, in the municipality of Moerdijk, we recently traced misconnections that were the root cause of blue-green algae growth.
      • Laboratories use our ELISA tests to quickly and accurately confirm the presence of blue-green algae.
    2. Heavy rainfall and sewer overflows
      • Together with Aquon, Municipality of Breda, and now also Municipality of Rotterdam, we monitor E. coli levels with the BACTcontrol.
      • This provides immediate insight into the nuisance caused by heavy rainfall events.
    3. River water quality under pressure
      • Drought and extreme rainfall are deteriorating the water quality of the Meuse River.
      • Within our NGSense project (with Rijkswaterstaat and Orvion), we continuously monitor microbiological quality at multiple locations.
    4. Illegal discharges and indirect pollution
      • With bioassays and sensors, pollutants can be quickly detected at wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs).
    5. Drought and reduced availability of drinking water
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Through this approach, microLAN and OptiSenseData, together with our partners, contribute to clean, safe, and available water – now and in the future.