High water levels cause rise in water level app usage

The app and the related website, which were launched in February 2016, currently have nearly 5,000 users and the app is downloaded 15% more often compared to the previous period. The ‘Roer en Overmaas’ and the ‘Peel en Maasvallei’ water boards, which commissioned the development of the app by ICT Group, have observed on social media that people frequently use the app.

Both Limburg-based water boards are happy with the number of users. ‘’It shows that we have addressed a need for information from citizens as well as businesses,’’ says Christel Verstappen, project manager Limburg Water Level app (Water board Roer en Overmaas). The Limburg Water Level app is the first online platform in the Netherlands that provides a simple way of checking the actual water levels in Limburg. Erwin Krijnen, Project Manager Cloud Solutions at ICT explains: “The app combines data from all monitoring stations in the creeks and the river Maas in Limburg, and uses color codes to show whether the situation is normal or whether there is (a risk of) flooding”.

New standard

The success of the app has also been noticed by other water boards. “Particularly the insight into the actual condition of creeks and rivers provides added value for water managers. As a result, it appears that we have set a new standard. What’s more, we accomplished this within a timeframe of a mere six months, and we are very proud of this”.

Smartportal

ICT Group built the app using Smartportal, a cloud-based platform that was developed in-house. The platform combines data from various systems, and integrates them to present a transparent set of information.