Uitdaging

Aquafin and De Watergroep play a central role in Flemish water management and work together to create a living environment in harmony with water. Through the Riopact cooperation model, Aquafin and De Watergroep combine their expertise in rain- and wastewater management. An important part of sustainable water management is the separation of rainwater. In a separate sewer system, incorrect connections of wastewater to the rainwater system lead to untreated discharges into watercourses. This harms water quality and ultimately the environment. Traditional detection techniques are labour-intensive and difficult to scale, especially over long distances and with complex connections.  

Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) via fiber-optic cables is an innovative technique that continuously measures temperature variations within the sewer network. Heat peaks indicate discharges of domestic wastewater into the cooler rainwater system. The technique has been successfully applied in several research projects but is not yet accessible or cost-efficient for widespread use by sewerage operators. In this project, we are developing a Plug&Play DTS solution - ready-to-use, quick and easy to integrate into existing processes, without the need for extensive training or specialized installation.