Innovative Gas Detection Valve Wins RIONED Innovation Award 2025
13 February 2025Amsterdam, 6 February 2025 – A groundbreaking solution for sewer maintenance has taken home the prestigious RIONED Innovation Award 2025. The Gas Detection Valve, developed through the collaboration of TBS-SVA Groep BV, W&W Ingenieurs, and Waternet, was voted Innovation of the Year by attendees at the annual RIONED conference. The RIONED Innovation Award is one of the most significant recognitions in the Dutch sewer and wastewater sector. Organised by Stichting RIONED, the national knowledge centre for urban water management in the Netherlands, the award highlights forward-thinking solutions that improve safety, efficiency, and sustainability in sewer management.
A safer, smarter way to measure sewer gases
Every day, teams working on Amsterdam’s extensive sewer network face risks from hazardous gases such as hydrogen sulphide (H₂S), methane, and ammonia, which can be toxic or even explosive. Traditionally, measuring these gases requires opening a manhole, exposing workers to potential danger.
The Gas Detection Valve eliminates this risk. This patented innovation integrates a sealed, lockable gas measurement opening into the manhole cover, allowing workers to measure gas concentrations before opening the sewer. A simple turn of a manhole hook provides access to a built-in guide, where a probe or telescopic tube can be inserted to take readings. This solution ensures faster, easier, and significantly safer gas detection in sewer maintenance.
Winning innovation among strong competition
The Gas Detection Valve was one of three finalists selected from eight entries in the competition. Other finalists included:
- Pumpemodul (Norway): A sewer pump station designed to be lifted above ground for maintenance.
- Volg de Vuile Waterdruppel (Nelen & Schuurmans): A hydrodynamic 3Di model that maps wastewater flow in sewer systems, streets, and surface water.
Ultimately, the audience at the RIONED conference chose the Gas Detection Valve as the most impactful innovation of the year.
A collaboration driven by expertise
The Gas Detection Valve is the result of close collaboration between TBS-SVA Groep BV, W&W Ingenieurs, and Waternet. Waternet, the public water utility for Amsterdam and surrounding areas, is the parent organisation of World Waternet and provides essential expertise in water management.
Waternet’s Ron Vogel played a key role in developing the concept, working closely alongside engineers from W&W Ingenieurs and TBS-SVA Groep BV to bring the idea to life. This innovation reflects Waternet’s ongoing commitment to enhancing safety, efficiency, and sustainability in sewer maintenance.
This smart innovation is a great example of how we implement cutting-edge technologies locally and internationally to improve water management, supporting the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. In Jordan, for example, we are working on healthy water cycles in connection with wastewater management, combining Dutch expertise with local insights.
Winning the RIONED Innovation Award 2025 is a testament to the power of collaboration and smart engineering. With this solution, sewer maintenance teams can work faster, safer, and with greater confidence—a major step forward for urban water management in the Netherlands and abroad.