Carlo Heuveling
Arcadis Netherlands Ltd.
Normally, you wait weeks for results from manual boreholes. With HRSC, you can see what’s happening underground live.
Why the EnISSA method made an immediate difference for us
Our collaboration with EnISSA started in 2017–2018. EnISSA was working via Arcadis on a large-scale investigation. One technique stood out straight away: MIP logging. Not as a side note, but as something that sticks with you. Since then, that method has been at the back of our minds pretty much all the time.
From hypothesis to real-time insight
What struck us back then? The speed and the clarity. Normally, you wait weeks for results from manual boreholes. With HRSC, you see live what’s happening in the subsurface.
You measure. You watch along. You adjust immediately.
We started with a hypothesis, but that very same day we refined the strategy because the data clearly showed where the contamination was and how different plumes related to one another. That gives you direction straight away, long before you see a single lab result.
‘For large or complex sites, the MIP method has effectively become our standard. It gives you what you need as a soil investigator.’
Why speed was crucial here
This project demanded maximum certainty. The site had a long history: there was already data from before the 1990s, but we needed to check whether that picture was still accurate.
Suddenly, certain VOCs seemed to have disappeared. That raised questions:
- Had they migrated deeper?
- Had the aromatic fraction influenced them?
- Were they being drawn downwards?
Without HRSC, you don’t get that level of insight quickly, with limited effort, or with enough sharpness.
At the client’s request, one of us was on site continuously. That meant we could follow everything live via the EnISSA platform. It made it possible to discuss results on the spot and take decisions immediately. We even went back for four additional MIP measurements simply because the data showed we wanted even more nuance.
The client actively took part in that process. They knew the method, valued it, and saw the real-time picture as a major added benefit.
The legal reality remains, but it doesn’t change the value
In the Netherlands, just like in Belgium, HRSC isn’t legally conclusive. You still have to take conventional samples to formally substantiate results. We know that.
But that doesn’t change the power of the method: HRSC steers your investigation, reduces uncertainty, and reveals patterns you would otherwise miss. Think of it like XRF measurements for heavy metals: brilliant for insight, not intended as final proof.
The key benefits at a glance
- Deeper understanding of the subsurface. EC data and permeability show far more detail than traditional desk-based descriptions.
- A direct link between soil layers and contamination. You understand why something sits exactly where it does.
- Better remediation choices. In our project, contamination sat at the top within the clay layer, but at the bottom it was sitting on it. That difference is decisive.
- Speed and on-site course correction. No more guesswork. You work with intent.