Water flows are unpredictable? 

Water systems are complex and largely hidden from view. At VITO, sensors in the Albert Canal and the Port of Antwerp make those systems visible. Researchers Emilia Liegeois and Nele Desmet use real-time data to track changes in water quality and availability, helping anticipate issues such as drought or contamination before they escalate. Here’s how.

Go with the (slow) flow

Water monitoring used to be labour-intensive and slow. Samples were collected manually, transported to a laboratory, and analysed days or even weeks later. Early sensor technologies offered limited improvement: devices ran out of power quickly and data transmission was unreliable. As a result, decisions were often based on outdated information. 

"Data collection used to be a black box. It was very possible that after two weeks you wouldn’t get any results, because it turned out the battery was dead the entire time." 
– Nele 

Sensing a change

Low-power IoT technologies fundamentally changed this picture. Sensors can now measure and transmit data continuously, without frequent maintenance or long delays. Rather than working with snapshots from the past, researchers have access to a live stream of information. This makes it possible to anticipate changes in water quality and availability, instead of responding once problems have already occurred.

"I’m not saying that we move mountains. But we do shuffle some stones—which makes water flow differently either way."
– Nele 

The effects of this project 

The sensors measure patterns that researchers use to predict when water quality will worsen. “We can see that five kilometres away there is contamination in the water, which means it will arrive here in about three days,” explains Nele. This insight has practical consequences for companies: through monitoring, they can see which water suits their purification process. When saltwater enters through locks, they can decide whether to treat it or switch to a different process.

"Water always stays relevant because it constantly changes. The laws, permits and how it's used by companies. We need to keep on researching which techniques to apply when." 
– Emilia