project

Effluent reuse – MDR in the water cycle

In the ‘Effluent reuse – MDR in de waterketen’ (Effluent reuse – MDR in the water cycle) study the potential contribution of Modular Sustainable WWTP (MDR) to the optimisation of the water cycle was explored for two areas in the Province of Limburg.

Technology

The Modular Sustainable WWTP was developed by the Limburg Waterboard Company (WBL). WBL has since given the concept the name Verdygo (see www.verdygo.com). An important feature of Verdygo is its industrial modular construction. This construction method makes it easy to quickly and simply adjust, extend, enlarge or shrink (flexibility) a WWTP. Consideration was also given to the possibility of selling the effluent to industry and/or greenhouse horticulture and using it to preserve nature values. This also involved giving consideration to the possibilities of its subsurface storage.

Challenge

The effluent from WWTPs in Limburg is currently still discharged into surface water and then carried out of the area. In the future WBL wants to use it in local, high-value applications, thus contributing to sustainable water management and to closing the water cycle in the areas.

Solution

In November 2013 the ‘Verkennende studie inpassing MDR-concept in de inrichting van de integrale waterketen’ (Exploratory study on implementing the MDR concept in organising the integrated water cycle’) report was issued. The study included a method to calculate the costs of the local implementation of Verdygo technology. The method consists of a GIS tool connected to a calculation model. The method was used to calculate the possibility of matching water demand and supply in two areas. The results produced a number of promising business cases for the supply of effluent to horticulture and industry.