Almost 70 years ago, a north-westerly storm, in combination with spring tide, was a devastating combination for the Netherlands. The flood of 1953 was the greatest natural disaster to had occurred in the Netherlands in the 20th century. Today, a resilient smart water grid infrastructure safeguards water levels and brings it safety to the Dutch countryside, which is below sea-level.

Robust dikes, a grid of canals, water locks and thousands of connected pumps ensure distribution of water in the Netherlands. The local water management authority and the 450MHz operator Utility Connect took the initiative to increase the level of cyber protection of this critical smart water grid.
Isolated from the public internet, the 450MHz data connectivity is currently being tested to safeguard important waterflows all around the clock – 24/7/365.

In the current first stage, the testing is done with CDMA technology in the area of Goeree-Overflakkee, between Rotterdam and Zeeland. At a later stage, LTE/M will also be tested, becoming the future technology of choice. The testing is being organized in a very straightforward and approachable way with an OpenSource method.