Delfluent Services B.V. and its shareholders Evides Industriewater and Veolia Water together with the local waterboard Hoogheemraadschap van Delfland (HHD) will start doing research to assess the possibilities of effluent reuse at the municipal WWTP Harnaschpolder. The scientific part of the research will be executed in cooperation with the University of Delft (TUD). Already for years parties cooperate with the TUD with respect to effluent polishing. The WWTP Harnaschpolder treast the waste water of all households (more than one million people) in the wider area of Holland’s government seat, The Hague.
The WWTP Harnaschpolder is situated in an area with various developments with respect to water management and water infrastructure. Extra attention is being paid to the increasing salinity of groundwater due to reduced inflow of fresh water and rising levels of sea water. Additionally the province of South-Holland discourages the filtration of brines into the soil and greenhouses need to look for alternatives for pumping up brackish groundwater. Effluent as source for irrigation water and surface water replenishment will hence be an important factor in the future water management in this area.
Apart from contributing to reducing the salinity, the improved effluent (after ploishing) will also contribute to a better quality of the surface water. In 2015 the European Guideline for Surface Water will come into force aiming at good chemical and ecological quality of surface waters. Possibly polished effluent can contribute to this goal. In the research project several technologies aimed at better chemical and ecological quality of municipal effluent.
Hence the Delfluent consortium and its client (waterboard HHD)will execute a 4 year demonstration research program at the WWTP Harnaschpolder, starting in Q1-09. The project aims at producing an effluent quality good enough for supply to the extensive greenhouse area around Delft. The capacity will be 50 m3/h.