Heusden leads the way in tackling water pollution with cost-effective sewage monitoring
Residents of Heusden and beyond could soon see cleaner rivers and safer drinking water, thanks to a groundbreaking pilot that identifies harmful substances in sewage. The study reveals that targeted action on just three pollutant groups can make a big difference—without breaking the bank.
| Key Data | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | Heusden, Noord-Brabant (Netherlands) |
| Collaborators | Schone Maaswaterketen, Aa en Maas water authority |
| Pilot Year | 2025 |
| Monitoring Sites | Haarsteeg sewage pumping station, ’s-Hertogenbosch wastewater treatment plant |
| Priority Substances | Crop protection products & biocides, solvents & degreasing agents, PFAS |
| Approach | Scalable, data-driven, and low-resource |
| Focus | Insight and risk assessment (not enforcement) |
| Outcome | Practical methodology for other municipalities to adopt |
Municipalities in the Netherlands are responsible for managing local water quality and reducing harmful discharges into sewage systems. This includes collaborating with water authorities to monitor and improve surface water, which directly impacts drinking water sources and public health.
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Municipality investigates harmful substances in sewage: ‘Significant progress possible with limited effort’
The municipality of Heusden, in collaboration with the Schone Maaswaterketen and Aa en Maas water authority, conducted an innovative study in 2025 into harmful substances entering surface water via the sewage system. With a practical and scalable approach, the municipality gains better control over so-called indirect discharges. It demonstrates that significant results can be achieved with limited resources.
Research for greater insight
The quality of surface and drinking water is under pressure. Municipalities play a crucial role in protecting water and reducing extremely worrying substances (ZZS). Wastewater from businesses and households ultimately ends up in rivers such as the Meuse after treatment. This is known as indirect discharges. Wastewater treatment plants cannot fully remove all (new) harmful substances.
For this reason, the municipality of Heusden launched a pilot to gain better insight into what is being discharged via the sewage system. In cooperation with the Schone Maaswaterketen and Aa en Maas water authority, information was collected, a monitoring approach was developed, and measurements were taken at the Haarsteeg sewage pumping station and at the wastewater treatment plant in ’s-Hertogenbosch. The focus was on gaining insight and risk assessment, not on enforcement.
Valuable information
The pilot not only provided valuable information about harmful substances in the sewage system but also a concrete and workable methodology. Measurements and targeted screening revealed that attention should primarily focus on three groups of substances: crop protection products and biocides; solvents and degreasing agents; and PFAS. Elevated levels were detected for these substances. Other tested substance groups were generally found to be equal to or lower than the average at the wastewater treatment plant in ’s-Hertogenbosch.
Collaboration with other municipalities
Councilor Jeroen van den Bosch: “This research gives us targeted tools. We now know where to focus our efforts to further improve water quality. And just as importantly: the approach is practical and also applicable to other municipalities.”
The pilot resulted in a concrete, workable methodology that can be easily adopted. With limited resources, existing data, and targeted monitoring, municipalities can quickly gain insight into indirect discharges and thus contribute to cleaner surface water and better protection of drinking water sources.
The municipality of Heusden invites other municipalities to adopt this approach and share experiences. “This way, we can work together to achieve cleaner surface water and better protection of drinking water sources.”
For more information about the indirect discharges pilot, you can contact the Schone Maaswaterketen via.