Skip to main content

Limburg Water Authority — electronic locking system

Project Details

Organization

Limburg Water Board

Category

Utilities and vital infrastructure

Year

2016

Waterschap Limburg is responsible for purifying wastewater throughout the entire province. With 18 treatment sites and 150 sewage pumping stations, the geographical spread is extensive. For years, the management of access to all these locations was based on a mechanical key system involving over 1,000 cylinders. To regain control over security, the water board replaced the unmanageable mechanical situation with a flexible electronic solution from Sellox.

‘Replacing the cylinders is the easiest to do.’

Challenge

When the water board assessed the status of the existing mechanical locking system, the situation proved to be far from secure. Of the 250 issued master keys, only 150 could still be traced. This meant that countless keys were in circulation among former employees or third parties, without any insight into who could enter where.

The requirements for a new system were strict:

  • Waterproof registration: Management had to be central; keys had to be able to be revoked immediately, even if they had not been physically returned.
  • No infrastructure: Many locations, such as remote sewage pumping stations, do not have the proper cabling or power supply at the entrance. Installing electricity for locks was financially and practically unfeasible.
  • Cultural shift: There was a need for discipline; users had to be forced to handle access carefully.

Solution

The water board chose the CyberLock system from Sellox. The decisive factors were the economic benefits and the fact that the cylinders require no power or wiring; after all, the energy comes from the key.

The implementation yielded immediate results:

  • 1-to-1 replacement: Because no structural modifications were required, the 1,000 mechanical cylinders could easily be replaced by electronic variants, even at the most remote locations.
  • Forced update discipline: Employees and contractors must regularly 'validate' their keys at an update point. If the validity expires, the key will no longer work. This prevents lost keys from posing a security risk.
  • Direct check: Contractors working outside their scheduled hours will find a closed door. The administrator determines exactly who has access, where, and when.
  • Manageability: Where previously there was a lack of overview, management is now the strongest link. The software provides exact insight into who has entered which room.

‘My main demand concerned better manageability.’

Read also

Amsterdam Municipal Transport Company (GVB)

A lock cylinder leads a tough life in the Amsterdam Metro. In addition to burglary violence, the product must withstand vandalism, tampering, corrosion, and rough use.

Read more