This document discusses water operations in urban and rural areas, including permits, investigations, technical measures, and monitoring. It presents a case study that uses hydrogeological reference conditions (HRCs) based on geological history and maps to assume the subsurface conditions at different locations. Borehole data is then used to confirm or reject the assumed HRCs. For two example locations, the assumed HRCs based on maps were confirmed by borehole data. The use of HRCs is concluded to be a promising method for planning water operations as it provides flexibility, considers depth, and allows for integration across disciplines.