The other day I revisited the Rijnhaven in Rotterdam — because after the start of a monitoring campaign, it’s always essential to experience the situation on-site during the bathing season (May–October).

At microLAN bv, we believe data is only part of the story. Seeing how people actually interact with the water is just as important.

I spoke with several swimmers, including a female athlete training for a half Ironman. She mentioned that the water currently appears a bit more turbid compared to last year. At the same time, the area is clearly evolving: a new beach is under development , and residential buildings are rising around the harbour .

Before installation, we performed comparisons between our enzymatic BACTcontrol Ecoli technology, qPCR, and the official MPN methods for bathing water. Now, with continuous monitoring in place, we are able to provide reliable, real-time insights into microbiological water quality.

Despite the cold water, swimmers told me they’ll definitely return more often — supported by increased confidence in water quality thanks to continuous monitoring

What’s great to see is how City of Rotterdam is investing in 𝘀𝘄𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲, 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘂𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿, while actively integrating environmental awareness into city development.

Around the corner, I visited the House of Banksy exhibition. One artwork stood out:

“𝗪𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗮𝘁”

A powerful reminder in the context of climate change — a theme Banksy often approaches with sharp, satirical impact.

And don’t miss the view from the Fenix Museum rooftop. The Tornado — an impressive stainless steel structure — is both an artwork and viewing platform, symbolising migration. A theme that, increasingly, is also connected to global environmental change.

This is exactly where technology, urban development, and public engagement come together.

𝗔𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼𝗟𝗔𝗡, 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹..