In the pond at Erasmus University Rotterdam, something remarkable has been glowing since today: POND, a luminous installation that makes the health of the water visible. Powered by electricity from microbes and colours that respond to ecological change, this innovative water guardian literally shows how well—or poorly—the water is doing. 'By making water quality visible, I want to give water a voice,' says designer Ermi van Oers of biodesign studio Nova Innova.
POND was festively unveiled today in the pond on the Woudestein campus, thanks to a collaboration between Nova Innova, Erasmus University Rotterdam and Rotterdams WeerWoord. The campus was selected from three proposed Rotterdam locations because of its vibrant character and its exemplary role for younger generations.
Water that speaks
The installation consists of floating, glowing spheres that light up in colours indicating water quality. Blue-green hues signify healthy water, while red points to ecological disturbance. The required energy comes from bacteria in the water, making POND fully self-sufficient. The spheres light up mainly from half an hour after sunset, as long as the microbes remain sufficiently active.
'If we can see and feel how the water is doing, we also know when it needs attention,' says Van Oers. 'Caring for water is not the task of one party, but of all of us.'
In the Netherlands, only one percent of surface water meets the European standards for water quality.* With POND, the initiators aim to raise awareness and provide tools to improve this situation.
*Source: Wageningen University & Research (2023), analysis based on the European Water Framework Directive (WFD).
Technology and awareness
At the heart of POND is a Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC), which generates energy from bacteria that break down organic material. This creates a small but constant current that powers POND’s sensors and lighting system.
Via an information board next to the installation, visitors gain access to a digital "twin": a virtual environment that displays real-time water data and explains what it means. This layer also shows which steps people can take to improve water quality in their own surroundings.
A lively pond on a green campus
Ellen van Schoten, Vice President of the Executive Board of EUR: 'POND arrives for us at the perfect moment. We have ambitious plans to enhance biodiversity on our campus. The pond is an important part of that. Thanks to the creation of a natural shoreline and new vegetation, life is flourishing. With POND, we can literally see the results of that—and it looks fairytale-like as well.'
The Municipality of Rotterdam is also enthusiastic. Joop Polfliet, Director of Public Works: 'In a city like Rotterdam, where we live with water, it is extremely important to know how "healthy" that water is. POND shows, in a special luminous way, how our water quality is doing. It makes visible what climate change means for our daily lives and therefore aligns seamlessly with what Rotterdams WeerWoord stands for: awareness and a perspective for action.'
Nature as a partner
The installation will remain on campus until October. In the meantime, Nova Innova continues working on further development, together with, among others, Southampton University, Deltares and In-lite. Van Oers: 'We are not separate from the ecosystems we measure; we are part of them. Through symbiotic design, we can reconnect with nature and help it flourish.'
- More information
General questions: tomorrowscampus@eur.nl
Press enquiries: Sander Wageman – press@eur.nl, +31 6 24 57 91 46
Contact Nova Innova: Ermi van Oers – ermi@novainnova.com, +31 10 668 0131
