Collaboration leads to innovative circular water system in Flevoland
As part of a unique partnership with Lelystad Airport Business Park (LAB) and Jotem Water Solutions, Rietland has the first Award Sustainable Water Use Business from Vitens! This prestigious award rewards groundbreaking initiatives that combine drinking water conservation with sustainable innovation. The project, in which Rietland played a key role, includes a fully circular water system with a vacuum sewer and natural water purification.
A sustainable water chain in practice
The winning project focuses on making the entire water chain more sustainable. By installing a separate vacuum sewer system, toilet water is efficiently drained with air instead of water. After that, the PhytoAir-system of reed land, a natural purification technique with aerated helophyte filters, together with Jotem's technical post-purification ensures that wastewater is converted into clean process water. This water is used as fire extinguishing water. Together, these measures ensure an annual saving of 16,000 m³ of drinking water and 15,000 kWh of energy, and make 50,000 m³ of water available for reuse.
Collaboration as a success factor
The award underlines the importance of collaboration in the water transition. “This recognition is the result of a shared vision and years of dedication,” says Dion van Oirschot of Rietland. “Together with LAB, Jotem and other partners, we have developed a system that not only has a local impact, but also serves as a blueprint for other industrial estates in the Netherlands.”
Jury Prize for Innovation and Scalability
The jury praised the project for its area-based approach and the 'water neutral concept'. With 51% from the jury votes and 19% from the public votes, LAB emerged as the convincing winner. Vitens emphasized that the solution is “an example of how technical innovation and natural processes can come together”.
Looking to the future
The Sustainable Water Use Award will now be presented annually to inspire companies to accelerate their sustainability efforts. Rietland, together with partners, is committed to realizing similar projects nationally and internationally. “This award motivates us to continue developing smart solutions for water challenges,” concludes Van Oirschot.
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