Tervuren Business Park’s €450,000 Water System Tackles Drought

The pioneering €453,515 water purification installation at Tervuren’s Keiberg-Vossem business park opens on 9 July. The installation combats growing challenges from drought and flooding linked to climate change.

The project features a landscaped buffer basin. Rainwater from the 4.5-hectare site is collected, purified, and either reused by businesses for non-potable purposes or infiltrated into the soil to recharge groundwater reserves.

The system integrates weather forecasting and smart controls, enabling it to perform three key functions: preventing water overflow during heavy rainfall, supplying companies with treated rainwater for uses like car washing and sanitation, and enhancing biodiversity on-site.

€340,136 funded thanks to subsidies

The remainder was financed by participating companies based on their paved surface area and water usage, alongside investment from Interleuven. Businesses also become co-owners of the water infrastructure. And Tervuren is one of 29 communes financing Interleuven.

“With this innovative system, we can safeguard clean water supplies for the future while supporting sustainable business growth,” said Jessica Vandebroek, managing director of Interleuven, which leads the project.

Annually, the installation reuses or infiltrates around 36,000 cubic meters of water, reducing demand on drinking water supplies and lowering flood risks downstream. Roughly half of the treated water is stored underground and can be retrieved during dry periods.

The installation has already drawn international visitors to Vossem even including professors, utility experts and students from Slovenia.

Author: Dafydd ab Iago. © Article and photos licensed © 2024 for Tervuren+ under the Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license.