Delfland, Witteveen+Bos, Royal HaskoningDHV combine knowledge for water treatment of the future
The Delfland Water Board is going to replace the current treatment plant in Vlaardingen. A complex and challenging job but also an opportunity to build a sustainable and modern treatment plant. What the future Wastewater treatment plant will look like, the high water board will investigate, together with engineering combination Witteveen+Bos and Royal HaskoningDHV. On April 23, Delfland and the engineering firms signed the cooperation agreement to this end.
Among other things, the cooperating parties will investigate how Delfland can comply with the new strict European directives for the removal of micro-pollutants in particular from wastewater. Other aspects explored within the project are the recovery of valuable raw materials, the use of treated wastewater as fresh water to improve the water quality in the nearby swimming lake or use in times of drought.
Working together
Pieter Janssen, director of the Water Board: 'After a careful selection procedure, we chose to work with the Witteveen+Bos and Royal HaskoningDHV combination. With this engineering combination, the firms have the right expertise ready to work with us to investigate which purification techniques are most promising for our new water treatment plant. A wastewater treatment plant that complies with the strict legislation and the principles set by our board. A sustainable treatment that fits in with the environment. We are going to work together to shape the future wastewater treatment plant!
Challenges
The location of the new treatment plant - in a congested urban area for a growing number of residents and businesses who want to continue discharging their wastewater - also brings challenges. The combination also supports Delfland in clarifying the environmental impact on the surroundings (mer procedure), amending the municipal environmental plan and applying for the main permits. The function of the site at Vergulde Hand West in Vlaardingen must be changed via an environmental plan to an industrial site with the function of wastewater treatment.
Solid project organization
Delfland has set up a solid project organization with broad knowledge for this project. The engineering combination has its own team ready to support Delfland with knowledge and expertise. Good coordination and cooperation with the municipality of Vlaardingen is important to achieve the ambitious planning. By the end of 2025, the environmental plan must be amended and the necessary permits granted. The goal is that construction can start in 2027 to put the new plant into operation in 2030.
Peter Puttkammer (Project Director at Witteveen+Bos) and Maartje Wise-Hoevenaars (Director of Water Technology & Resilience NL at Royal HaskoningDHV) concur with the challenge outlined: 'The size and complexity of the project are great and many important choices have to be made in the design process. As a combination, we have an in-depth level of knowledge in the field of treatment technology. We are also experienced in the environmental process. A good integration of the treatment plant in the new environment, which satisfies everyone, is very important in this project. We are looking forward to working with Delfland on this socially relevant project!
For more information about this project, visit the Delfland site.