Dutch Water Innovation Awards 2013 spotlights ingenious solutions for flood protection and clean water

Four Dutch water solutions have been awarded as Water Innovation 2013. The winners were announced at the awards ceremony at Fort Voordorp, the Netherlands on 10 December.

For a second time the Dutch water sector was challenged to enter the Water Innovation Awards 2013 and submit their latest innovative solutions for flood prevention and clean water. This year this resulted in 120 entries. Striking was a large number of entries from individuals and small scale solutions.

The Water Innovation Awards are organised by the Dutch water boards, the regional government bodies charged with managing water barriers, waterways, water levels, water quality and sewage treatment.

Wide variety of entries
Jury president Annemieke Nijhof, CEO of Tauw Group, was pleasantly surprised by the diversity of entries. "The more than 120 entries ranged from very meaningful to globally potential. Their origin was also very diverse, coming from residents to large businesses. With so many wonderful initiatives, it was hard to select a winner."

Winners in four categories
Water in the neighborhood
● Natuurderij Keizersrande by IJssellandschap:
a modern water-friendly dairy farm build on an artificial hill in the unembanked floodable foreland of the IJssel river where shrubs and grasses are kept short in order to maintain a high river discharge capacity .

Enough water
● Rainwinner by Broos Water:
a rain water harvesting system of plastic modulair  blocks (110 liter) that can be constructed as garden elements with the ability to temporary store excess rainwater.

Clean water
● Alginate production from waste water by Delft University of technology, Royal HaskoningDHV, STOWA and various water boards:
a way of making alginate from wastewater. Alginate is an important raw material in the medical and food industries. 

Dry Feet 
● Vertical geotextile to prevent dike failure by water board Rivierenland, Deltares, IJkdijk Foundation, Ten Cate and Program Management of Room for the River:
an innovative preventive measure against piping.

All winners, from left to right: verticale geotextile, water-friendly farming, alginate from waste water and rainwinner.

This news item is based on a press release published on the website of Waterinnovatieprijs (Dutch only).

More information
www.waterinnovatieprijs.nl