Annual Report 2015 - Waternet Innovatie

Research & Innovation – Annual Report 2015
“We are the first generation to feel the effect of climate change
and the last generation who can do something about it.”
Barack Obama - November 2015 - UN Climate Change Conference COP 21 - Paris
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Contents
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Foreword - Jan Peter van der Hoek 6Computer-controlled dredging - Fred
de Haan & Peter Jansen 8
Innovation Lab and AIWW - Peter Jansen & Kees
van der Lugt10
Micropollutants - Maaike Bevaart & Cor Verkerk12 Applications
on the drone - Haroen Lemmers & Peter Jansen14 Nautonomous, an unmanned
floating waste collector - Alex van der Helm16
Climate-proof street - Eljakim
Koopman & Torben Tijms18
Cooling delivery from a drinking water pipe - Stefan
Mol & André Struker20 Amsterdam Circular Challenge - Peter Jansen22
Controlling brackish seepage - Lucas Smulders & Frank Smits24
Cities in transition
/ Pakhuis de Zwijger - Maarten Claassen26 Cleantech Playground - Enna Klaversma & Maarten Claassen28
Circular Buiksloterham - Rob Ververs & Maarten
Claassen30 Softening under review? - Onno Kramer & Leon Kors32 Thermal
storage in a clean water reservoir - Stefan Mol & André Struker34
Ouderkerkerplas: a clean source of cooling - Lucas Smulders & Peter Jansen36 Afterword Alice Fermont
Waternet is the municipal organisation of Regional Public Water Authority of
Amstel, Gooi and Vecht and the City of Amsterdam
3
Foreword
T
his is the Research & Innovation 2015 annual report
for Water Authority of Amstel,
Gooi and Vecht and the City
of Amsterdam. With a varied
selection of projects, this report presents the research performed relating to Waternet’s
seven research and innovation themes: Climate neutral,
Climate adaptation, SMART
business operations, Connecting with community, Drinking
water, Wastewater and Water
system.
Besides the featured projects,
Waternet does much more
in the field of research and
innovation.
In its research and innovation
programme, Waternet often
works closely with partners.
For example, it worked with
the AMS Institute (Amsterdam
Metropolitan Solutions) in the
projects Rain Sense (finemeshed weather forecasting
using smart sensors and social
media) and Urban Pulse (dynamic modelling of material
recycling in Amsterdam for the
recycling of raw materials).
The partnership with TU Delft
was intensified. On the subject
of recovering thermal energy
from drinking water, a project
was launched to study the
effects of this on the microbiological quality of the drinking
water. This project is cofinanced by the Topsector
Water. The University of Amsterdam and VU University
Amsterdam want to strengthen
waterrelated research in Amsterdam
via Amsterdam Water Science.
Waternet actively contributed
to the start-up meetings of
this initiative. Via subsidies,
we succeeded in increasing
the financial scope over our
research program. In 2015,
we participated in five Topsector
4
Photography: KWR Watercycle Research Institute
5
Computer-controlled dredging
F
or a week, Waternet tested a dredging computer
on the Keizersgracht with the
DWR1 to establish whether it
could be used on Waternet’s
current dredging equipment.
Implementation speeds up the
dredging, causes less harm
to the environment and generates cost savings through
accurate dredging.
Dredging is necessary to guarantee the storage and flow of
the water (and thus the safety
of the residents) and to keep
the water open for vessels.
Removing the polluted dredging layer also improves the
quality of the waterbed. The
work was commissioned by
the Water Authority and the
municipality of Amsterdam.
A dredging computer is a 3D
GPS-based navigation system
that determines, presents and
saves the position online from
the knife tip, intersection and
digging point of the dredging
machine.
The dredging computer is
used to monitor and control
the dredging process by comparing the actual excavation
profile (visual on screen)
with the desired profile. This
makes it possible to dredge
and register a profile without
visual observation.
The system offers many advantages and will certainly
be followed up.
“ Implementation speeds up the dredging,
causes less harm to the environment and
generates cost savings through accurate dredging.”
6
The dredging of the bottom of the Keizersgracht was computer controlled
7
Water authority chairman Gerhard van den Top during the AIWW
Innovation Lab and AIWW
W
aternet was present at
the Innovation Lab at the
Aquatech, which was part of the
Amsterdam International Water
Week (AIWW) in 2015. Via five
innovations, enthusiastic volunteers and young water professionals demonstrated the whole
water cycle to the world. The
drones and the Nautonomous
scored particularly well with
the public.
By taking part in these international trade fairs, Waternet
establishes contacts with other
countries and monitors global
developments in the field of
sensor technology and (big)
data processing. Innovation
is an essential theme at the
AIWW and was cited as the
main reason why people visit
the Aquatech. The Innovation
Lab, present at the trade fair
for the first time this year,
provided a central platform
for all the innovations.
Through the various presentations and the opportunity
to see and experience real
products, it was a truly unique
event. Waternet drew attention
to closing cycles and talked
to delegations from different
countries about embedding
these innovations in the business operations of other water
companies. Waternet thus
hopes for a digital partnership
with other partners all over the
world and for a joint approach
to the creation of closed cycles.
Waternet climate neutral in
2020. Technically, this is feasible. Now we have to achieve it!
8
Excursion in Amsterdam Westpoort during Amsterdam International Water Week
9
Micropollutants
T
he term micropollutants
covers a wide range of
contaminants like drugs, natural and synthetic hormones,
substances with an unintended
hormonal effect, pesticides
and biocides, as well as microplastics and nanoparticles.
a smart way to analyse the
effects of a mix of substances
in water instead of the concentrations of individual substances. If the rules for compulsory
monitoring are also changed,
real savings on monitoring can
be made.
The disadvantage of micropollutants is that they are very
different and difficult to trace.
Because the analyses are very
expensive, the ecological key
factor Toxicity was developed
together with STOWA. This is
Many micropollutants in wastewater come from households,
industry and healthcare institutions. Only a limited number can be removed at the
sewage treatment plants. Via
Stowa Waternet participates in
various studies into effective
removal techniques. These
include ozone treatment with
granular activated carbon filtration (1-STEP filter), ozone
treatment with sand filtration
or an active carbon dosing on
the aeration tank. Micropollutants can also be tackled at the
source. Together with the AMC,
Waternet has shown that micropollutants can be removed
using the Pharmafilter concept.
Greenhouse horticulture is a
source of pesticides. In 2015,
LTO Glaskracht Nederland,
the Ministry of Economic
Affairs and the Ministry of
Infrastructure and the Environment, Nefyto, the Board
for the authorisation of plant
protection preservatives and
biocides, the Dutch Water
Authorities (Unie van Waterschappen) and the Association
of Dutch municipalities agreed
on making the purification of
residual water flows in horticultural holdings compulsory from
2018. Waternet is consulting
with municipalities, environmental services, water boards
and LTO Glaskracht about solutions and joint monitoring.
The Water Authority of Amstel,
Gooi and Vecht wants to
develop a strategy for
micropollutants for the medium
term. This will be developed
in 2016 and 2017 based
on a study (inventory and
effect measurements).
10
A cage with passive samplers is lowered into the water to monitor contaminant mixtures in the water
11
“Implementation at
Waternet produces
more information at
lower costs”
3D image of the Winkeldijk
Applications of the drone
A
drone is a very useful instrument. Due to its numerous cameras and sensors,
it can be used in many areas.
It is mainly used for visual inspections, such as surveying
watercourses and vegetation
with multi-spectral cameras,
and 3D images, as well as for
taking water samples.
The use of drones produces
more information at lower
costs. Two examples show that
we are on the eve of a digital
breakthrough. The possibilities
for using drones in Waternet’s
primary work process continue
to grow. Trying out our drone
to inspect a pump was successful. The drone also supported the annual inspection of
the watercourses, which provided extensive
and detailed information.
The preparations for the dyke
inspection are currently in full
swing. Advice was prepared for
the executive board featuring
a proposal for using robotics
at Waternet. A positive decision was made, enabling us
to actually deploy drones. We
already have an intensive partnership with Deltares aimed at
embedding the use of robotics
throughout the water world.
By using the drone, we were
able to make crystal clear 3D
images (from a height of 45
metres, a resolution of 1.5 cm
per pixel). This shows the
amount of land or the height
of a flood barrier. An aerial
photo like this can be accurately
entered on coordinates in a
GIS system. The drone images
may later be used in our geoinformation system.
12
The Battle of the Beach 2015 at Langevelderslag, viewed from the drone
13
Nautonomous, an unmanned
floating waste collector
O
ne of Waternet’s key tasks
is cleaning the canals in
Amsterdam by removing floating and sunken waste. This is
labour-intensive work which
has to be carried out in all
weathers. The Nautonomous is
the prototype of an unmanned,
self-driven waste collector
which supports the manned
floating waste collecting
vessels, particularly in shallow or inaccessible water. The
Nautonomous was inspired by
self-driving (autonomous) cars.
The Nautonomous was designed and built in partnership
with the University of Applied
Sciences in Amsterdam (HvA).
From the HvA’s Innovation lab
and the HvA minor Robotics,
fifteen students from different
programmes worked on the
project in multidisciplinary
teams.
The Nautonomous is an electrically driven boat with a
conveyor on the front. The
conveyor fishes floating waste
out of the water and deposits
it in a removable tank. The
operation of the prototype with
motorised waste conveyer was
tested with a remote control.
The autonomous control of the
boat, developed via the minor
Robotics, with autopilot based
on GPS (Global Positioning
System) and LIDAR (Laser Imaging Detection And Ranging),
will be tested in early 2016.
Via the Innovation Lab, the
Nautonomous was exhibited
at the HISWA in March 2015
and in November 2015 at the
Aquatech. The Nautonomous
was also highlighted in the
Telegraaf newspaper (on 22
October), on the website of the
Parool (idem), on television in
Hallo Nederland (MAX broadcaster, 18 November) and on
the radio in Eye Openers (BNR
Nieuwsradio, 30 November).
The Nautonomous at the HISWA in 2015
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Test run of the Nautonomous on the Amstel
15
Climate-proof street
filtration strip (Granudrain) is
combined with a drainageinfiltration-transport sewer
(DIT sewer). Such a combination has never been used in
the Netherlands before.
Granudrain
Surface water
Groundwater level
Stormwater sewage
Sanitary sewage
Drainage infiltration
transport sewer
(DIT sewer)
Cross section of the street profile
Argonautenstraat recently became climate-proof. The street
must be able to process a rain
shower of 60 mm/hour, but
manage groundwater shortage
(too low groundwater level)
as well. In the street, an in-
The infiltration strip has been
designed to enable it to process heavy rainfall without the
environment suffering damage.
After the rainwater has infiltrated the ground, it is transported to surface water via the
DIT sewer. And if conditions
are so dry that the groundwater level dips below the surface
water level, surface water is
transported from the DIT sewer to the bed. This prevents
the groundwater level from
declining any further, which
is important for the wooden
foundations of many houses in
Amsterdam.
In 2016, Argonautenstraat
will be monitored intensively.
The technical and hydraulic
functioning of the facility will
be studied so that Waternet
can decide whether it can be
installed elsewhere in Amsterdam and under what circumstances. At the beginning of
2016, an infiltration test will
be performed. This test will be
repeated annually. This testing
will make it possible to assess
whether the facility continues
to operate well over a longer
period.
PP seal
foam edge 4 mm
granudrain element
oil separator
separator
granusplit 4/22 mm
Principle of the Granudrain
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Installing the drainagec infiltration system in Argonautenstraat - Photography: DigiDaan
17
“This cooling delivery achieves
CO2 savings of
1200 tons per year“
René van Lier (l.) and Roelof Kruize (r.) signing the declaration
of intent to work together
Cooling delivery from a drinking water pipe
T
he drinking water purified
by Waternet is prepared
from surface water and is
therefore cold in the winter
and hot in the summer. This
thermal energy can be used to
cool or heat buildings.
In 2014, Waternet embarked
on negotiations with Sanquin
Blood Supply in Amsterdam
about supplying cooling from
drinking water. Near Sanquin
there
are two drinking water transport pipelines operated by
Waternet which transport
drinking water from the production location Leiduin to
the Amstelveenseweg pumping station. These two low
pressure pipelines (700 mm
in diameter) have an almost
constant discharge. Via these
pipelines, among others, the
Amstelveenseweg pumping
station is supplied with drinking water for distribution. Waternet wants to fit a connection
with a heat exchanger to one
of these pipelines to supply
cooling to Sanquin. In the win-
ter, the drinking water in these
pipelines is often colder than
10 °C. After issuing the cooling, the water is hotter when
it returns in the water system,
with a temperature of maximum 15 °C.
After the water is mixed in
the pumping station with the
drinking water from the three
other pipelines, it heats up
by an average of 1 °C. That
slightly hotter water can then
generate savings in energy
consumption because over
50% of the distributed drink-
ing water in the supply area
is heated before use (shower,
bath, washing machine, dishwasher). This cooling delivery
achieves CO2 savings of 1200
tons a year, over 2% of Waternet’s current climate footprint.
Furthermore, consumers save
energy in the winter, because
they don’t need to heat up
their shower or heating water
so much.
The cooling delivery starts in
2016, after the municipality of
Amsterdam has issued a loan.
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Current thermal storage
Future thermal storage
View of the locations of the current and future thermal storage
19
Amsterdam Circular Challenge
O
n July 3th 2015, the
Waternet 1 team won the
Amsterdam Circular Challenge
with the idea for the large
scale production of designer
furniture from fibre obtained
from cutting waste. The Challenge was organised for Dutch
students to speed up the sustainability objectives in Amsterdam. With glue based on
sugar beet waste, two students
assembled a table from cutting
waste and a fallen tree. The
table can be completely dismantled for transport and after
use can be cut up to provide
material for a new piece of
furniture.
Together with NPSP, the expert
in bio-composites, we have
been performing research into
biocomposite for some time.
This is being continued in
the STOWA project “Circular
biocomposites of residual materials”. In this project, water
boards and nature conservation organisations are studying
whether they can deliver a certain quality of residual material
(water plants, reed and natural
grass) and what properties the
resulting composite has. As an
example, NPSP made a sofa
using biocomposite sheets,
consisting of 71% residual materials like reed and calcite.
proteins, the fibre for biocomposite remains. These
two projects are connected,
because it is important for
both to know how many water
plants are available every year
in the Netherlands. To this end,
Waternet and Ecofys have developed a measurement and
calculation method which will
be further developed in the
protein project.
Here is a short film with the
table as the end product and a
video clip about the event.
Waternet is also participating
in STOWA research into extracting proteins from water
plants. After extracting the
We cut the reeds along the banks
... which are then used to design
an end product.
20
The participants in the Circular Challenge 2015
21
Controlling brackish seepage
Waternet is studying the
potential for capturing the
brackish seepage in Horstermeerpolder before it comes to
the surface. The water system
will then no longer be loaded
with this salt, which will benefit
the water quality. Much less
freshwater
will have to be let in from the
Markermeer to drain this area.
And we are studying whether
drinking water can be produced
from this new source. The
fresh seepage
brackish
seepage
quality of the resulting drinking
water will then improve, with
less or no caustic soda being
required for softening. This will
significantly reduce Waternet’s
CO2 emissions.
In 2015, this was discussed
with the municipality of Wijdemeren, the province of North
Holland, the Executive and
Governing Boards of the Water
Authority of Amstel, Gooi and
Vecht, the Residents’ Associ-
fresh seepage
fresh seepage
ation of the Horstermeer, the
Dutch Society for the Preservation of nature (Natuurmonumenten) and LTO. The concept
was well received by all these
parties. Two UU students
studied the physical condition
of the water system and the
substrate of the Horstermeer
in more detail. One VU student
started research for an extensive modelling of the substrate.
A Waternet employee measured the suitability of the
fresh seepage
“This is the pearl
in the water cycle,
better water quality,
lower CO2 emissions
and a new source for
drinking water”
Roelof Kruize
sewer system in Amsterdam
to discharge the salty
residual product. Furthermore,
a cost estimate was drawn
up for the brackish seepage
extraction.
In 2016, a general information
evening was organised for the
residents of the Horstermeer.
The Amsterdam alderman was
asked about co-financing, but
other subsidy options were
also explored. With the studies
from 2015, a field trial was
prepared for the pumping and
purification of the brackish
seepage. The required permits
for this trial have been requested
22
Field research in the polder Horstermeer; after agreement with the owners and leaseholders of the plots
23
Cities in transition / Pakhuis de Zwijger
C
ities in transition is a network in which many organisations meet, connect and contribute to the city of tomorrow. We are an active
participant in this network. In 2015, Waternet contributed to the programmes, the magazines and the online platform Cities in
transition. This online platform has more than 70,000 members. Waternet takes part in the partner council of Pakhuis de Zwijger and
contributes to a number of programmes, such as the Circular City and Water Republic. Work was also undertaken on preparations for
the EU presidency and the expo FabCity in 2016. Almost all of Waternet’s innovation programme regularly appears on the platform.
In 2015, Waternet took part
in various meetings about a
circular and climate-proof approach for Amsterdam. During
these sessions, contacts and
connections were established,
allowing Waternet to position
itself in an active community of
innovators. Together with the
members of this network, we
are working on new initiatives
and research projects.
For a number of years now,
initiatives have been developed
on and around the Johan van
Hasseltkanaal in Buiksloterham
(Amsterdam North) for sustainable residential areas. Under
the title Schoonschip Amsterdam, a project aimed at building a floating, self-sufficient
residential area with thirty
water homes on the canal
started a few years ago.
In mid 2014, the experimental Cleantech Playground was
started on the former shipyard
De Ceuvel on the Van Hasseltkanaal. In fifteen old houseboats on land, researchers
tested clean and sustainable
technologies on a small scale.
In 2015, a long-term (over
20 years) project called Circular Buiksloterham started.
You will find more information
about these projects on the
next pages.
24
Festival Welcome to the Village
25
Cleantech Playground
T
ogether with Metabolic,
KWR Watercycle Research
Institute and AWWS (Advanced
Waste Water Solutions), Waternet is involved in a project
at the former shipyard De
Ceuvel in Amsterdam North in
which the applicability of sustainable technologies is being
studied. In 2014 and 2015, the
fifteen office houseboats in the
experimental Cleantech Playground were subject of a great
deal of research into the use of
compost toilets, composting,
lifecycle comparison, the health
risks of decentralised drinking
water production, organisational and institutional obstacles
and user behaviour.
On October 15th 2015, a final
symposium was organised
to present the various results
of the research. A learning
environment was also launched
in which this initiative will be
further deepened and anchored.
It is called Circular Academy.
The houseboats on De Ceuvel
26
The entrance of De Ceuvel with the name in wooden letters, made from felled trees from the Van der Pekstraat
27
Circular Buiksloterham
I
n the Circular Buiksloterham
pilot project, a network of
institutions is working on transforming a district into a circular
city. All of the parties have an
interest in this based on their
own responsibility. Together
with various parties, Waternet
is gaining experience with new
water cycle concepts at various
scale levels. On March 15th
2015, a research phase was
concluded with the signing of a
manifesto. In this pilot, there
is a more flexible approach
to legislation and regulations.
After completing the vision
document, Waternet embarked
on the various sub projects in
this extensive project, such
as Cityplot Buiksloterham,
the further development of
Schoonschip and self-building
developments. Research was
also started into a decentralised wastewater purification
plant,
or bio-refinery.
Following the successes in
2015, this special district
development will be continued
in 2016. This has already
become a national example of
how to fulfil the ambition of a
circular city.
The future circular residential area at the Johan van Hasseltkanaal
28
View of Buiksloterham with the Tolhuiskanaal in the centre and the Johan van Hasseltkanaal in the background
29
Softening under review?
Top left pure calcite grains,
top right garnet, below the
“residual material”: pure calcite
O
ur drinking water is softened in pellet reactors.
This process produces a residual substance in the form
of calcite grains. The project
Marketing Dutch Calcite, which
ran from 2012 to mid 2015,
studied whether the resulting
calcium pellets could be broken
up and reused as inoculum
(calcite) for softening. An extensive winter and summer pilot with broken pellets showed
that the softening process
worked just as well with them.
It was therefore decided to
switch to using broken pellets
as inoculum for softening at
the production site Weesperkarspel.
In order to be able to use
the broken pellets at Leiduin
too, greater grinding capacity
is needed. Via the Reststoffenunie, the pellet buyer, the
market was approached to
encourage the return of broken
pellets. In this way, Waternet
makes a small contribution to
the “circular economy”.
Leiduin is expected to switch
too in the middle of 2016. The
implementation at Waternet is
saving around € 40,000 a year.
In the continuation of this
application, it was studied
whether the softening, which
is carried out using caustic
soda, could be made more
sustainable with lime made
from torrefied pellets. Waternet commissioned KWR to
study this (Ontharding 2.0).
This study did not prove that
caustic soda was a bad choice.
On paper, lime production from
pellets produces a nicely closed
circle, but it is not expected to
be used in the softening process in the short term.
“The implementation at Waternet saves
around € 40,000 a year”
30
The calcite pellets are crushed in the test hall at the Weesperkarspel plant
31
Thermal storage in a clean groundwater reservoir
W
“This measure saves
30 tons of CO2
a year”
aternet cools its building
with a cooling machine
which is ready to be replaced.
For this reason, Waternet is
investing in a new cooling
method and is considering
alternative ways to discharge
the heat.
Drinking water is produced at
the Weesperkarspel plant, on
the Gaasperplas. The cooling
machine in the building needs
replacing. Dating from 1991,
it is filled with the coolant R22
which is no longer permitted.
Furthermore, the heat which
the machine produces in the
process is cooled and discharged with drinking water,
which is then discharged in
the surface water.
In 2020, Waternet wants to be
CO2 neutral and is therefore
investing in a heat pump in
combination with thermal
storage. The building will then
be sustainably cooled, yielding
a CO2 reduction compared
with an air-cooled cooling
machine. For the thermal system, three alternatives were
compared: an open system
using groundwater, a closed
system whereby a medium
extracts cooling or heat from
the ground, and water storage
like thermal storage.
Meanwhile, old drawings
showed that there was a clean
groundwater reservoir under
the building dating from 1881.
Once the entrance had been
rediscovered, the reservoir was
drained and then inspected.
The 47 x 38 x 3.5 m reservoir
proved to be in good condition,
so it was decided to use it to
store water for thermal storage. A heat pump heats and
cools the building. The residual
heat goes to the hot-tap water installation. This measure
saves 30 tons of CO2 a year.
Implementation will take place
in 2016, with the investment
being earned back within
eight years.
32
The inspection of the drained clean groundwater reservoir - Photography: Ronald Bakker
33
Ouderkerkerplas:
a clean source of cooling
O
uderkerkerplas is an old
sand excavation located
to the east of Ouderkerk aan
de Amstel, originating in the
1960s. In the 1980s, algae
blooms appeared, preventing
the lake from fulfilling its function as a recreational lake.
Ouderkerkerplas
Oxygen suppletion
Cooling
production plant
12-24 °C
20 °C
available phosphate
10
20
30
40
m
m
m
m
thermocline
Clients
6 °C
phosphate
In 2009, Nuon and the Water
Authority of Amstel, Gooi and
Vecht developed a project in
which Nuon cools buildings in
Amsterdam South East with
the cooling from the Ouderkerkerplas. Next to that NUON
is introducing pure oxygen to
the bottom of the lake, which
binds the phosphate present
there to the waterbed. Because
phosphate is an essential nutrient for algae, binding the
algae to the bed can prevent
algae blooms. This combination
of cooling and water quality
improvement has never been
applied before.
Extensive monitoring has
shown the technique to be effective. Since the oxygen was
introduced in 2009, the phosphate concentration has fallen
by 75%. It took several years,
but a clear water system has
now been achieved. Despite
the hot summer, 2015 was the
first year in which there were
no warnings
to swimmers. Lake users
(swimmers, sailors, fishermen,
divers) have now returned to
the lake.
The project produces benefits
on several fronts. Using cooling
from the lake generates significant energy savings. Nature
development in the area has
received a boost, and the recreational opportunities the lake
offers are free of restrictions
again. A video was produced
5-7 °C
unavailable phosphate
5-7 °C
phosphate
oxygen
Precipitation iron
phosphate
“ The project produces benefits
on several fronts “
Summer situation
34
The cooling water inlet intended for the buildings in Amsterdam South East
35
Afterword
F
or 2016, Waternet has high ambitions for research and innovation. We plan to reduce our CO2 emissions, recycle raw materials,
use new forms of data collection, survive dry and wet periods without damage, but above all listen to and respond to our customers’ wishes. We also want to save costs.
In 2016, we plan to introduce drones for inspection work. To do so, we will have to overcome numerous legal issues, but we must also
ensure that the extra data thus obtained is used well. We will share our data in a hackathon, a meeting where software and website
developers work together on software. We look forward to seeing what new opportunities others see.
In the Horstermeer, we want to start controlling brackish seepage. This is
a new method which improves water quality in and around the polder and
which may create a new source of drinking water. It also contributes to a
solution-based partnership in the polder between residents, businesses and
the government.
Waternet is also fulfilling its climate ambitions. We are reducing our CO2
emissions, among others through our partnership with Sanquin, as well as
by replacing and reusing non-sustainable raw materials.
The research and innovation programme produces knowledge for the Rainproof
programme. We are gaining experience in micro-urban water management,
such as the climate-proof street and the polder roof. This means that we know
what to do to survive both dry and wet periods.
Finally, Waternet cannot achieve its ambitious goals without good partnerships
in which water awareness forms an important element. In the pilots in
Amsterdam South East and in new build locations, we are testing and rolling
out decentralised concepts. For that reason, we are working together with
many students, businesses and residents on a daily basis to achieve better
water.
Alice Fermont
Coordinator Research & Innovation
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Rooftop Revolution - Image: Alice Wielinga
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Text editor: Peter Beemsterboer
Design and layout: Marjan Schermerhorn
Final editing: Alice Fermont
Translator: Wilkens c.s.
www.innovatie.waternet.nl
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