How Waterschap Zuiderzeeland uses drones for water quality monitoring

For Waterschap Zuiderzeeland, monitoring water quality is not a desk job. It means heading out into the field, to locations that are difficult or even impossible to reach on foot, and where a physical presence on the ground unnecessarily disturbs the natural environment. By integrating AirHub into their drone operations, the water authority has developed a way of working that is faster, safer and fully traceable.

The challenge: difficult terrain and time-consuming fieldwork

Taking water samples sounds straightforward, but in practice it can mean a twenty-minute walk through tall reed beds, muddy banks and dried-out pools. Physically demanding, and an unnecessary disruption to the natural area.

Jeroen, drone team coordinator at Waterschap Zuiderzeeland, describes the old process:

"Before we started using drones to take water samples, we did everything on foot. Sometimes we walked 20 minutes just to reach the location. Now it's straightforward. Within 2 minutes, we have a water sample taken with the drone."

When the water authority decided to deploy drones to tackle this and similar challenges in the field, the operation grew quickly. Before long, multiple pilots were flying different drone types for a wide range of missions. Without a central system to manage and document all of that, it created a significant administrative burden.

The video below shows how Waterschap Zuiderzeeland tackles these challenges in the field, and how AirHub keeps every operation organised, documented and audit-ready.

The solution: one platform for preparation, execution and documentation

Waterschap Zuiderzeeland uses AirHub as the central platform for all drone operations. From flight preparation to flight logs, everything runs through one system.

Martijn, pilot at the water authority, explains what that means in practice:

"AirHub has improved our way of working because everything can be done in one system. We no longer work with all kinds of separate tools or spreadsheets. Everything is logged automatically, and flight preparation no longer needs to be done somewhere else."

Martijn also shares how the AirHub app performs in the field, where speed matters:

"In a few simple steps, you can complete the flight preparation on location. Within a few minutes, you can actually start flying."

For Jeroen as coordinator, the platform provides a clear overview of the entire operation:

"The biggest difference AirHub has made to my way of working is that I now have a clear overview of what is being flown and by which pilots."

The impact: faster operations, broader deployment and audit-ready

The time savings are measurable: taking water samples went from a 40-minute walk to 2 minutes with the drone.

The benefits of AirHub go beyond water sampling alone. The water authority uses drones for a wide range of operations, including locating muskrat winter dens using a thermal imaging camera. All of these operations are managed through AirHub.

"Besides taking water samples, we also use the drone with a thermal imaging camera. We use it to locate muskrat winter dens, and that works really well through AirHub." says Jeroen.

A concrete demonstration of the value of a well-documented way of working came during an inspection by the Dutch Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (IL&T):

"A while back, we had an audit by IL&T and it went well. We were able to provide the requested information quickly and close the audit on a positive note."

Jeroen also looks ahead:

"The next step for Waterschap Zuiderzeeland is to deploy drones much more broadly and frequently."

Ready to structure your drone operations?

Waterschap Zuiderzeeland shows that the right platform makes the difference, not just in the air, but across the entire organisation behind it. Whether you are taking water samples, inspecting infrastructure or monitoring nature: AirHub keeps your operations compliant, efficient and scalable.

Book a demo with one of our experts.