Agreement for innovative circular water plant in the Netherlands

The water factory in Wilp has been given a green light by the Vallei and Veluwe Water Board. The new water factory will be constructed as an ‘all-in-one treatment plant’, ultimately serving as a partial replacement for the Terwolde sewage treatment plant. Alongside producing clean water, the water factory will also extract raw materials so that they can be reused. The project will help the Water Board to further its ambition to achieve total circularity by 2050.

The Board of Directors approved the plan for the new water factory in Wilp (in the municipality of Voorst) at the end of last year. “It’s a unique concept,” says Water Board official Bert van Vreeswijk. “As the Vallei and Veluwe Water Board we’ve been considering opportunities and improvements for this new treatment concept for the past year, alongside Witteveen+Bos. I’m happy with the outcome, an ‘all-in-one’ water factory that works circularly.”

Fully circular by 2050
he water factory lets the Water Board take a significant step towards being fully circular by 2050. This includes the separate collection and processing of sewage and rainwater, so that rainwater no longer needs to pass through the purification system. Some of the purified water from the water factory will supply the Twellose stream with water, so that this stream will once more contain sufficient water of good quality. The new water factory will remove no less than 75% more nitrogen and phosphate from the polluted water than a regular purification installation. Another aim is to remove 80% of the medicine residues, to leave 90% less sludge, and to use 90% fewer chemicals.

Pilot project and cooperation
For this project the Vallei and Veluwe Water Board is working with the municipality of Voorst, the Province of Gelderland and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. There will also be cooperation with the companies Attero and Schoneveld Breeding, and the knowledge partners Aquaminerals, STOWA and Wageningen University & Research (WUR).

As a construction team, Witteveen+Bos and Royal HaskoningDHV will first conduct a pilot project with the Water Board to test whether the innovative idea is feasible in practice. They will also work on the further design of the installations. A suitable location is also being sought at and near the companies Schoneveld Breeding and Attero on the Sluinerweg in Wilp.