UrbanM2O kicks off field activities in Copenhagen

This summer marked the start of UrbanM2O’s field activities in Copenhagen, combining the development and testing of innovative water-quality monitoring approaches with hands-on training for future environmental engineers.

Students from DTU Sustain have been actively involved in monitoring activities across the city, working alongside project partners and local stakeholders to collect data and test new sensing technologies in real urban environments.

Activities included monitoring water-quality parameters in freshwater systems and nature-based solutions in collaboration with HOFOR, testing Sensichips sensors in stormwater collected from a detention basin provided by Novafos, and assessing the reliability of low-cost sensors developed by Australian project partners.

Students also supported the collection of bacterial-concentration data in Copenhagen Harbour, contributing to the efforts of Københavns Kommune to improve bathing-water warnings and strengthen the protection of citizens using the city’s swimming areas.

These first field activities are providing UrbanM2O with valuable information on pollution levels across its case studies while also offering students practical experience of the challenges involved in obtaining reliable water-quality data.

The activities represent an important step towards UrbanM2O’s larger monitoring campaign planned for 2027, which will involve additional student projects, sensors and datasets to support the development of more effective approaches to urban water-quality monitoring.