Test with small-scale and sustainable on-site water purification

“The BluElephant can, in time, be an interesting alternative to the large, expensive installations that the water board currently manages, so we think that is important to further develop the concept in practice”, says Erik Lievers, member of the executive board of Vechtstromen. “That is why the Vechtstromen Innovation Fund is contributing 250,000 euros to the BluElephant. The BluElephant will soon make it possible for residential areas, business parks, recreational facilities, outlying areas and other users to clean and reuse their wastewater on-site, in a sustainable and effective way. The BluElephant can thus make an important contribution to the quality of our ground and surface water, and also play a role in combating the drying out of elevated sandy soils, and even in restoring them.”

The innovative BluElephant pilot shows how Vechtstromen wants to, in close cooperation with the business community and knowledge institutions, invest in new knowledge and techniques that contribute to water quality, climate adaptation and global sustainability. The partners involved – Jotem Waterbehandeling, Rob van Opdorp Product-Designs, World Waternet, Saxion University of Applied Sciences (International Water Technology department) and the Royal Netherlands Army – will be able to set up a test location and build several prototypes with the promised contribution. The intention is to introduce the innovative, compact purification unit to the market in a relatively short period, thereby also making a further contribution to the regional economy and employment in the region.

World Waternet also wants to deploy the unit in the Palestinian Territories as part of the water board’s Blue Deal programme and has already ordered a number of them.