Pidpa and iFLUX Extend Partnership for Smarter Groundwater Management

The promising collaboration that began in December 2023 between Belgian drinking water provider Pidpa and groundwater monitoring specialist iFLUX is now developing into a long-term commitment. The two companies have officially extended their partnership for four more years, focusing on strengthening sustainable water management through real-time groundwater data.

One year ago, iFLUX installed an innovative monitoring network at Pidpa’s groundwater extraction site in Westerlo. Using iFLUX's flux sensors, groundwater velocity and direction are tracked in real-time. This enables Pidpa to better understand groundwater flow and proactively evaluate current and future pumping strategies to protect a nearby nature reserve along the Grote Nete river and keep possible contamination risks at bay.

The network was developed in collaboration with Natuurpunt and ANB (Agency for Nature and Forests) with support from the European Innovation Council (EIC). A partnership that demonstrates how advanced monitoring can improve both operational efficiency and environmental protection.

Christian Montag, Managing Director at iFLUX: "We're proud to continue working with Pidpa. Their commitment to innovation and sustainability, combined with our shared vision, creates a strong foundation for this partnership. Our extended collaboration will continue supporting their data-driven decisions that benefit both communities and the environment."

What's next?

With this extension, Pidpa and iFLUX enter a new phase focusing on key objectives for safe, smart, and sustainable groundwater extraction:

1. Prevent Contamination and Ensure Safe Extraction
   The site uses screening wells to protect extraction zones from potential surface water contamination, particularly from the nearby Grote Nete river. iFLUX's monitoring system provides crucial insights into the effectiveness and functioning of these wells by measuring groundwater flow patterns.
2. Optimize Groundwater Production Operations
   Real-time monitoring will improve Pidpa's daily decision-making, system efficiency, and guide smart investments—including a planned new water treatment plant and screening well optimization.
3. Minimize Environmental Impact
   Continuous assessment supported by accurate data of how extraction affects adjacent protected ecosystems ensures Pidpa maintains environmental responsibility. iFLUX's monitoring network provides Pidpa with visibility into the hydrological interaction between extraction activities and sensitive natural areas in a changing climate.
4. Facilitate Re-permitting Through Reliable Data
   iFLUX's hydrogeological data will provide essential insights for environmental assessment and re-permitting processes. While iFLUX won't conduct the Environmental Impact Assessment itself, it directly benefits from the resulting data and insights the iFLUX network provides.
   
   

The future value of iFLUX for Pidpa

The real-time monitoring technology will facilitate predictive models that anticipate groundwater behavior under various and changing conditions, allowing Pidpa to implement adaptive management strategies before issues arise. This proactive approach will not only optimize operations but also strengthen Pidpa's position as a forward-thinking utility that balances resource management with environmental stewardship.

Bastien Soens, Expert Sources at Pidpa:

"Our partnership with iFLUX has organically grown from a mutual interest to monitor groundwater systems from a unique and innovative perspective. The real-time monitoring technology from iFLUX provides the necessary means to track groundwater flow at our exploitation site of Westerlo to thoroughly reassess and optimize our production strategy. By doing so, Pidpa will continue to provide drinking water in an affordable and ecologically responsible manner. Throughout our collaboration, iFLUX has consistently proven to provide creative and flexible solutions. This long-term commitment is the next logical step of this fruitful collaboration.”

Furthermore, as regulatory frameworks evolve to emphasize sustainability, the data-rich insights from iFLUX's systems will provide Pidpa with comprehensive documentation of their environmental performance. This transparency will build trust with stakeholders and potentially streamline future permitting processes. The partnership exemplifies how technological innovation can drive both operational excellence and ecological responsibility in critical infrastructure management.