The WaterAtlas, developed by VITO, allows neighbouring companies to help each other with their water supply. The interactive mapping tool is part of the Blue Deal ambition to further close the water cycles in Flanders. The 'Flanders Waterproof' project is therefore looking into how surface water can improve water security.
A large company where rainwater disappears from the roof down the drain into the sewer, hundreds of litres at a time. A laundry in the same neighbourhood tries to use water as sustainably as possible, but still has to rely on tap water during droughts. Wouldn't it be great if the laundry could use the lost rainwater from the large company, so both could profit from water together. Thanks to the WaterAtlas, this will become possible.
Sustainable water sources
The WaterAtlas is an interactive mapping tool from Flanders which professionals, but by extension anyone, can consult for free, providing insight into the potential of different alternative water sources. On wateratlas.be, maps make the match between a local alternative water source and local water demand. These sustainable water sources can be either large-scale rainwater harvesting or treated wastewater. Local water demand can be for households, businesses or agriculture.
A good example is the fruit and vegetable industry. These offer excellent potential for reusing treated industrial wastewater or rainwater for irrigation in nearby agriculture or horticulture. Anyone can check in their own region where there is high demand and high supply, and whether these can be matched.
When you consult the WaterAtlas, you immediately get all the background data as well. Not only do you see exactly where the alternative water sources are located, but also who needs water in the vicinity. Concrete figures estimate how much rainwater each industrial site can potentially collect or how much irrigation water each agricultural or horticultural plot needs. The tool is therefore the first to make this spatial data available on a public platform. Where water could be available in dry periods is therefore being clearly visualised. In this way, the WaterAtlas is accelerating the transition to a climate-robust Flanders, and supports various local projects.
"If we want to guard against dry periods - as we have had to experience various times in recent years - a proactive policy is called for. With the Blue Deal, we therefore want to give a lot of support to initiatives like these. By clearly mapping supply and demand, we can be much better prepared. The Water Atlas is therefore an initiative that is useful for everyone in Flanders, every Flemish company and every Flemish city or municipality," enthuses Flemish Minister for the Environment Zuhal Demir.
The WaterAtlas was developed in the context of the Blue Deal project 'Flanders WaterProof' at the request of Flemish minister Zuhal Demir and was fleshed out by VITO with partners based on feedback from water managers, spatial planners and organisations rolling out concrete water projects.
KlimaatPlassen
Within Flanders WaterProof, VITO also looked at opportunities to protect groundwater resources through smart water management and additional water buffering. The sand extraction ponds in Donk (Dessel) and Rauw (Mol) are part of the KlimaatPlassen demo area. VITO and Pidpa are conducting measurements and tests there over the coming 12 months to work out how much water can be stored in the ponds and how this water can be used as an alternative water source for industry or agriculture, or as raw water for drinking water production.
Currently, when it rains, much of the rainfall flows directly into our waterways via canals or the sewerage system and then quickly disappears towards the sea. Climate change is increasingly causing longer periods of drought, alternating with periods of heavy rainfall. The limited replenishment of groundwater is adding to the pressure on our water system. It is crucial that we take a different approach to water, by no longer allowing rainfall to quickly drain away to the sea, but by better retaining and reusing water.
A scientific study conducted by VITO shows that sand extraction ponds in the Kempen region can play a role in improving water security in the region. The Flanders WaterProof project will work on 2 of these ponds: the Donk pond in Dessel and the Rauw water well in Mol.
For the Donk pond (located on the Gravenstraat near Tabloo in Dessel), VITO plans to build an adjustable weir during the course of 2024. This weir at the overflow of the quarry will allow up to 150,000 m³ of water (or the annual water use of over 2,000 households) to be buffered for use in dry periods. In addition, the daily overflow of 10,000 m³ on average (or the daily use of more than 85,000 households) can also be used as an alternative water source when this flow is not needed to supply the Witte Nete river.
At the end of 2023, Flanders WaterProof launched a participation process to look into who could benefit from the buffered water as a sustainable alternative water source. In the first instance, the project is looking into companies in the SME zone Stenehei and nearby agriculture. Controlled overflow of the water in the Donk pond to the Witte Nete river is also a possibility. By directing the overflow in the pond, we can maintain the base flow of the Witte Nete river and protect the vulnerable animal and plant species in the watercourse.
A significant volume of water currently flows continuously from the Rauw water well into the Dessel-Kwaadmechelen Canal. Water quality analyses show that the water from the Rauw water well is of good quality and could potentially be used for drinking water production. To gain insight into the necessary water purification steps, Pidpa and VITO are setting up pilot tests. One advantage of using the overflow water as a raw water source is that extracting this water has no significant impact on the environment. If the results are positive, the next phase will look into whether this water can be used for drinking water production in the long term.
