The quest for a new drinking water source

Drinking water

Drinking water company Dunea is faced with a major challenge. The company supplies clean drinking water from the dunes between Monster and Katwijk to 1.3 million consumers in the west and south of the Zuid-Holland province, but this is no longer sufficient due to growing demand. More drinking water needs to be produced, and since this is not possible with existing methods or locations, Iv and Arcadis have been brought in to – for the first time in over fifty years – find a new source to provide clean drinking water from 2030.

Dunea uses the river-dune system to extract drinking water. Drinking water is produced by pumping water from the Lek and Afgedamde Maas rivers to the dunes for processing. This method has been sufficient for years, but Dunea is now reaching its capacity limit.

For this reason, the water company has launched the Drinking Water for the Future programme. This plan consists of 5 pillars, which include promoting conscious and sustainable water use and optimal use and maintenance of the current river-dune system. A crucial pillar is to add a new system of sources and treatments. That’s where Iv and Arcadis come in. Our task is to develop three options for Dunea, provide advice and offer a preliminary design. Iv is concentrating on the technical aspects of the design, while Arcadis carries out the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and manages the permitting process.

The core of the quest

Willemijn Bouland-Oosterwijk is the Drinking Water for the Future programme manager at Dunea. “We’re now trying to utilise and maintain the river-dune system further, but still, we will not have sufficient capacity by 2030, which is why we are trying to find new additional sources: local surface water, river water, seawater or brackish groundwater. This is what lies at the very core of this quest.”

For Dunea, the task is both extensive and challenging. While the company currently provides clean drinking water to 1.3 million consumers, it will soon need to increase its supply to serve 1.6 million consumers. This rise in supply represents an increase of 15 billion litres of drinking water, from 85 to 100 billion litres annually. “Together with Iv and Arcadis, we’re examining sources and treatment technologies with a high level of abstraction, and we aim to select a preferred alternative this year. There are many environmental factors at play”, says Willemijn. “Because the water is not ours, nor is the space. Each alternative involves different parties and stakeholders.”

This is a unique project for Dunea, as no new water sources have been explored in the last fifty years, indicating the importance and urgency of this quest. Whoever reads the newspapers and watches the news will inevitably be confronted with gloomy reports of impending water shortages and urgent calls to conserve drinking water. Clean water from the tap is no longer a given.

Knowledge, capacity and strength

“We feel a tremendous sense of urgency and responsibility”, Willemijn continues. “We are adding this to our agenda to create more awareness, which has been somewhat lacking in recent years. There is a lot of work to be done, and we need the help of other parties, such as Iv and Arcadis. In terms of knowledge, capacity and strength. But also from governments and parties within communities to free up water and space.”

So why are we increasingly reading that there is a risk of drinking water shortages and that it is still questionable whether future new housing developments can be connected to the drinking water network? Population growth, and therefore more housing, is the main reason for the increasing demand. “But we are also observing a halt in the downward trend in water consumption per person. In recent decades, we have unknowingly saved water by using more efficient appliances (washing machines, dishwashers, ed.). The focus is now on saving energy rather than water. This combination of factors indicates a sharp rise in demand.”

The constant search for overlapping aspects

This quest by the three parties is, therefore, crucial and concrete: to determine and select a new source. Will it be fresh surface water, river water, brackish groundwater or seawater? This question will be answered by the end of the year. Willemijn realises it is not as clear-cut as it seems. “It’s quite complicated to balance what is technically possible and what is actually possible in terms of permits and desirable for the surrounding environment. It’s a big puzzle, and we are constantly searching for overlapping aspects. So, mistakes are also made in this.”

Dunea feels this project is special despite the difficulties and pressure. “We’re doing something together that is very socially relevant, so all eyes are on us. After all, it is not just about our region. We are especially focused on how we can help each other as drinking water companies, so others are curious about what is happening here. And if we succeed? Then we will certainly solve the drinking water problem between now and 2040.”

‘Relying on each other’s knowledge’

Projects like this do not come along very often, not only because the search for a new source of drinking water is unique but also because of the nature of the collaboration. “We work as a single unit”, says Guido van der Wedden, project manager at Iv. “We meet twice a week at Dunea, which keeps the lines of communication short. And that is very useful when – as is now the case – we rely greatly on each other’s knowledge.”

If Guido had to describe the project, he would say it was about designing a ‘new’ drinking water company. But under the Dunea flag. “But what we are doing is coming up with something completely new, so we really have to use our brains. There is plenty of intellectual challenge.”

Specifically, the project for Iv involves creating three process technology designs, one for each variant. Guido: “This means we have to consider the connections and integration of existing systems carefully. Once the choice has been made, we will start working on a preliminary design of the chosen variant after the summer. What’s interesting and unique about this project is that we are already involved with Arcadis in the preliminary phase. We are helping Dunea to make the right choice. And that involves many considerations related to technology, costs, risks, but also the overlapping aspects between the environment and the stakeholders.”

That’s where Arcadis comes in. As an environmental consultant, Frans Dotinga is responsible for the EIA. “We and Iv wanted to do this job because it concerns a very interesting, strategic issue. The whole (political) context in which this is taking place, with time being of the essence, makes it very dynamic.”

The purpose of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is to show how the alternatives perform environmentally and the impacts of each. How will nature be affected if groundwater is extracted from a particular area? How much CO2 emissions and energy do specific processes produce and use, and how well do the processes comply with stricter water quality regulations?

“But we are also examining the target range”, Frans continues. “In other words, are we achieving the necessary volume of drinking water, and what about the security of supply when applying the different systems? In short, the longer the pipes, the higher the risk, because the risk of damage automatically increases. The more steps in the process, the more complex it becomes. We also have to take these aspects into account.”

It has a direct impact on people’

Arcadis is currently working on the first part of the EIA. The second part will follow once the preferred alternative has been selected. “We are doing this together, not in parallel”, says Frans. “Iv is helping to write chapters in the EIA, and we provide support in some of the technical issues. The cooperation is superb. We are responsible for different things on paper, but there is a lot of overlap in practice. We are working together on a wonderful assignment. It has a direct impact on people. This is the kind of work we enjoy the most.”

Dunea also views exploring a new source as a unique and impactful challenge. “The investments we make now will help us in the future. Doing something new takes time. But if we succeed, our troubles will be over.”

Curious about the possibilities for your project?

Paul, managing director Water, would be delighted to discuss this with you! Get in touch via +31 88 943 3900 or send a message.

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Paul Kloet