Waste Water Management in the Netherlands

New York, August 10

Henry van Veldhuizen,

Strategic Advisor Waste Water Treatment

Waterschap Vallei en Veluwe

• Waterschap Vallei en Veluwe (“Water Board”)

• Waste Water Management in the Netherlands

• Innovations in Waste Water Treatment

• Conclusions

Content

22 Dutch Water Authorities

Waterschap Vallei en Veluwe

Waterschap Vallei en Veluwe

2nd International Resource

Recovery Conference 4

244. 833 ha

1.082.000 inhabitants

16 wwtp’s

1.471.00 p.e.

Waterschap is the regional Water Authority

Daily boarddijkgraaf and 3 heemraden

Organisation

General Board30 members

• Daily Board: Dijkgraaf, heemraden

• General Board

• Elections

• Taxes

Core Business Waterschap Vallei en Veluwe

• Water Safety

• Sufficient and Clean water

• Wastewater Treatment

Challenges 2017-2021

• Climate change: adaptation and mitigation

• Circular Economy

• Water quality and quantity

Waste Water Treatment in the Netherlands

History of Waste Water Treatment

• 1900-1970 start of urban waste water treatment

2017: >99% treated

• 1970 Surface water pollution act

reduction of industrial discharges

• 1970 -1985: removal of organics (COD)

• 1985 – 2005: removal of Nutrients

2017: > 80% N/P removal

• 2005 – 2027: EU Water Frame Directive: ecology

• 2016 - ...: Micropollutants: Delta Approach

Organisation of the water cycle

• Communal and industrial waste water as main sources

• First combined sewers, later separated for Wastewater

and Storm water

• Discharges regulated through permits

• 2 governments – one task

• Municipalities -> collection systems (sewers)

• Waste water treatment -> regional organizations

for scale purposes (Water Boards)

WWTP’s

• About 340 activated sludge plants

• 3.000 – 1,300.000 p.e.

• About 25 with sand filtration

• Innovations:

• Sharon, Annamox

• Nereda

• Energy and Resource Factory

The Nereda Reactor

Wastewater

Effluent

Sludge flocs

Granular sludge

aeration

•Energy saving:

30%

•Cost saving: 30%

•Space saving:

>50%

•Alginate as a

surprise product

• From a linear to a circular approach

• Waste water as a resource of raw materials, energy and clean water

• Cooperation of 22 Dutch water authorities

• Shared vision and ambition: route map 2030

Energy and Resource Factory

Energy

• 9 Energy neutral plants

• Green gas for transport

• CO2 for industry

• Heat for households

wwtp Den Bosch: green gas for transport

Phosphorus

• 8 production locations of

fertilizer struvite

• 2018: P from ashes at

Ecophos (Belgium)

Cellulose

• 4 production locations for

cellulose

• Application in asphalt, isolation

material, bioplastics

Removal of emerging substances

• Delta Approach Water Quality and

Fresh Water

• Chain approach Pharmaceuticals

• Joined efforts of Water Boards: Water

Factory

• 4 pilots:

• Powder Activated Carbon (PAC)

• Granular Activated Carbon (GAC)

• Ozonation with GAC

• Pharmafilter for Hospitals

Conclusions

The Dutch Water Authorities

together with partners in the golden triangle

are working on an integrated approach

for a sustainable waste water treatment:

future-proof,

innovative

and circular

Everything clear…

Questions?