The aerated reed bed that was recently installed at Novotel Antwerp North has been awarded an award from Green Destinations. The organization selected ten innovative technologies that make an important contribution to making tourist destinations more environmentally friendly and sustainable. The chosen technologies will be further promoted by Green destinations in the tourism sector.
Rietland BVBA installed the wetland at Novotel Antwerp in the autumn of 2015. Since then, the system treats the wastewater from 120 hotel rooms and two meeting rooms, each with a capacity of up to 100 people. Furthermore, the waste water from the kitchen and from the filters of the swimming pool is treated. The treated wastewater is discharged into the rainwater sewer and then runs towards the Schelde river.
The Green Destinations jury assessed:
- The effectiveness of the technology to solve widespread sustainability issues in the tourism sector,
- The innovative character of the solution,
- The simplicity of implementation on a technical and financial level.
The unique FBA® technology was applied at Novotel. The wetlands are actively aerated, which ensures a very efficient treatment of the waste water on only ¼ of the surface that classic wetland systems require. In addition, the energy consumption of the sewage treatment plant is 75% lower compared to a technical waste water treatment plant and no additional sewage sludge is created. This makes the solution not only sustainable but also economic in the long term. The operators do not have to worry about the treatment and the annual costs are very limited.
http://greendestinations.info/top-10-green-tourism-solutions/