POM West-Vlaanderen: demonstration project water storage basin Ardooie

Companies producing frozen vegetables currently use mainly deep groundwater as process water. Because the amount and the quality of the deep groundwater layers is strongly decreasing there will be limitations enforced on this water source. One of the best alternatives at this moment is the recycling of its own waste water, but this only provides a partial solution. In order to guarantee the continuation of the farmer production and industrial water supply in the area, other alternative water sources must be found.  

Source: NV Ardo, Belgium - Ardooie

The Province of West Flanders has recently deduced that a possible solution of this problem can be found in the storage of superfluous water in times of high precipitation, which later in the growing season will be used as irrigation water for the farmers and which possibly can be used as an alternative process water supply for the industry. This solution is also in line with the Flemish Spatial and Water Policy, where special attention is given to sustainable water management, protection/improvement/recovery of surface water and groundwater bodies and spatial flood prevention solutions. 

The investment consists of constructing a water storage basin that will deal with the problems mentioned before. A water storage basin will provide water for irrigation of crops and the possibility of supplying water to industry will be examined. The basin will be able to store superfluous water and will improve biodiversity by its ecological embedding. In order to find the best suitable area for water storage different criteria need to be considered: a good accessibility, an easy land acquisition, no noise nuisance, an adequate catchment area, an adequate surface area and a limited distance towards interested companies. An inventory will be made of all the discharges upstream from the location of the water storage basin using modelling methods of partners. Also the feasibility of the water supply to the companies producing frozen vegetables will be evaluated. On the basis of these data and the recommendations of the partners, the design of the basin will be made and construction works optimising the water management will be implemented. Further a registration system will be arranged which will inform us who gets water, how much and when. The partners will be consulted to find the best suitable manner of registration.

The investment will deliver:

• Detailed inventory study of the demand and supply of water in the region of Ardooie.
• A hydraulic model of the area for the site selection of the water storage basin
• A water storage basin plus upstream structural works : the construction of the water storage area of <3 ha> (ca. <1.5 ha> basin and <65.000 m3> earthworks) and construction works will result in an improvement of the water management (supply in balance with demand) of the area. The upstream structural works consist of an intake-channel with a non-return valve preventing the water basin leaking water in dry periods. Also a second non-return valve will be installed at a higher level ensuring the storage capacity for future flooding. The basin will be developed with a “filling-station”, where tank-tractors can connect themselves to the water basin.
• A registration (metering) system: for managing the water storage basin a registration system will be acquired which will inform who gets water, how much and when. It will anticipate to a future conversion from free to paid water supply.
• A profound estimation of the guaranteed deliverable flow that can be supplied to the industry.
• Transfer of experiences: For the draw up of a hydraulic model, the design of the registration system and the making of a profound estimation the expertise of the transnational partners will be required. Out of the progress of the individual projects every partner learns new innovative approaches on water management implementation, multi-functional water storage and interactive planning.