In the Netherlands, the quality of surface water needs to be improved in many places. On the Overijssel estate Het Lankheet, work is now underway on a new concept to purify surface water: a 'water park'. The LEI concludes in a study published today that the benefit to society is greater than the costs.
The core of a water park is a reed swamp, also called a helophyte filter. This purifies the water, but there are also other functions. The reed is harvested after which energy can be generated (for example via combustion). The purified water improves the quality of the surrounding nature so that there is more diversity in flora and fauna. A water park contributes to an attractive landscape for recreation and it also offers the possibility of storing peak water to prevent flooding.
Het Lankheet estate was previously agricultural land. This land has been converted into reed marsh. PRI, Alterra and KIWA conduct research into, among other things, the efficiency of water purification with regard to nitrogen and phosphate. One of the important questions now is whether the Netherlands wants to use (agricultural) land to purify surface water.