Water is precious, now more than ever. Summers are increasingly wet and dry. Extreme rainfall, flooding and persistent drought play leapfrog. As a company that depends on water in its production process, you must be able to rely on an uninterrupted supply of good quality water at an acceptable price.
VITO works on these water challenges on many fronts. We carry out analyses and make suggestions to solve water quality problems. And we help you to implement those solutions. We help companies to monitor their water consumption, make it sustainable and save costs.
Discover our solutions!
Research and innovation hub for businesses and governments:
Solutions for companies
Optimise your water management and identify your costs
What measures can I take?
With the WaterBarometer, companies can get a better understanding of their water management. You will also receive immediate advice on how to optimise the water management in your company. In addition, you will get a presentation of the water balance with all water flows and the related costs.
The WaterBarometer also makes an environmental analysis and looks for nearby alternative, sustainable water sources. In each case, it also examines how these water sources can be used to provide a solution in the event of water scarcity.
How the WaterBarometer can benefit your business
- Insight into your company's water management
- Targeted optimisation actions
- All water flows are mapped
- Costs and risks determined
- Environmental analysis with alternative water sources
The WaterBarometer is free of charge. VITO also organises free online training sessions.
The WaterBarometer is part of the SmartWater Use project, an initiative of VLAIO. This collective research, development and dissemination project maps water risks for the (sea) food, aquaculture, textile and tourism industries.
How much water is used in your company?
With online sensors, real-time management and an online water dashboard, we help you take a proactive approach to your water consumption. With an audit, we can map out your water flows. The dashboard collects all the info in a clear way. This way, you can see how much drinking and process water you use and how much is wasted. With a smart water approach, you save water, energy and a lot of costs.
Advantages of the Water Dashboard
- Real-time monitoring of water consumption, balance and quality
- Fast detection of excessive use, leaks, contamination
- Links water consumption to production volumes, costs
- Compares current with historical data
- Save up to 40% water
Most sustainable carwash in Belgium - 'De Wasstraat'
De Wasstraat in Herent is the largest, and also the most sustainable, carwash in Belgium. 90% of the water used is purified and recycled before being reused for pre-washing the cars. Thanks to the WaterDashboard, the carwash knows exactly how much water is used per wash, how much of it is tap water and how rainwater can be used optimally.
Want to find our more about our services? Get in touch
Solutions for agriculture
WaterRadar helps farmers locate alternative water sources
In times of drought and water scarcity, irrigating crops with rainwater or groundwater is no longer the obvious choice. That’s where the WaterRadar comes in. It connects water supply and demand for agriculture.
The online viewer WaterRadar integrates water supply and demand and promotes a sustainable and circular water use. By typing in a location or address, farmers can easily search for suitable alternative water sources near their fields.
Examples are treated household wastewater from Aquafin installations or treated wastewater from food processing companies. The WaterRadar also gives companies an insight into the theoretical irrigation needs on a regional scale.
Open innovation testsites:
Alternative water sources for food processing plants
VEG-i-TEC is a living lab in Kortrijk for vegetable and potato processing companies that want to innovate and optimise their production processes. Processes that have been developed in labs are put into practice there.
At VEG-i-TEC, pilot projects can be set up, from separate processes to an entire process line, from harvested to packaged product. The focus is on the evaluation of new technologies, water management and disinfection, energy management and hygienic design.
Yes, I want to find out more about VEG-i-TEC
Water gains on business park Tielt-Noord
WaterProof is developing three demo projects that are an example of how we can roll out water innovation in the whole of Flanders.
At the business park Tielt-Noord we want to retain alternative water sources. Examples are rainwater, purified waste water and drainage water. Buffered water is redistributed in the local water network, a worthy alternative to the traditional use of groundwater and tap water.
Water management is organised collectively. Not just the business park, but the entire surrounding area will be involved. Buffered water, not only as process water for companies, but also as irrigation water for agriculture, fire-fighting water and - why not - as part of a process of sewage recovery.