Original article in Dutch, by Waterforum Magazine, Pieter van den Brand can be found here!
Construction has started in Doetinchem on the new assembly site of Nijhuis Saur Industries. At 30,000 square meters, it is one of the largest facilities in Europe for the construction and delivery of treatment equipment for drinking water, process water, and wastewater. Fully self-sufficient in water, it will become one of the first water-neutral industrial sites in Europe. NSI’s ambition is supported by a broad commitment from its partners.
Practice what you preach.
If you’re a water treatment specialist building a new assembly site, naturally the water system must be state of the art. Especially when you can rely on two other renowned players in water treatment technology to help make it happen. The bar is set high. Together with Jotem Water Solutions and Van Remmen UV Technology, Nijhuis Saur Industries (NSI) is aiming to implement an entirely new water-neutral concept at its new site in Doetinchem. All rainwater, wastewater, and process water will be treated to make it suitable for reuse or to supplement the local water system.
In pursuing this ambition, NSI has gathered strong support from a broad group of partners — not only its fellow experts in purification and water treatment, but also developer DHG, neighbor Betoncentrale Twenthe, drinking water company Vitens, and the Rijn en IJssel Water Authority. In short: no drinking water will enter the new facility, and no wastewater will leave it through the sewer system.
The installation, currently working under the project name Blue Cycle, will collect rainwater from the roof into an underground buffer tank (with a capacity of 300,000 liters to bridge dry periods), which will then be treated to produce drinking water. After treatment, wastewater will be reused to flush the separation toilets, which capture urine to be processed elsewhere into a sustainable fertilizer substitute. Any surplus water will be purified and infiltrated back into the ground.
Ready-to-use product
“Of course, at our new site we want to show everything we’re capable of,” says Jan Weijma, project manager and technologist at NSI. “But we don’t want to limit ourselves to just this location. Our goal is to develop a modular standard installation for industrial sites and large buildings. We want to create a ready-to-use product that can be mass-produced and delivered at a reasonable cost. We’ll also take on the maintenance and management of the system. We aim to fully relieve the customer of their water concerns by offering water as a service. The customer pays for every cubic meter of water they consume. Creating a water-neutral installation is the top priority, but it goes beyond just the system itself.”For the water-neutral installation in Doetinchem, the full range of water treatment technologies from the three companies comes into play. “This project involves major innovative aspects. We have technologies that have proven themselves in practice, and we can produce water of any required quality,” says Weijma. “Together, we have extensive experience with technology in a decentralized context.”
Still, the envisioned water-neutral concept brings plenty of challenges, he acknowledges. “The choice of technology is crucial. We’ll need to fully leverage the synergy between the different available technologies so they connect seamlessly and deliver a cost-efficient solution. The drinking water produced must be of high quality and reliability.”
Versatile
Moreover, Weijma emphasizes that creating this innovative water treatment system involves much more than just technology. There are legal and social aspects as well. Special requirements apply for obtaining the necessary permits. For example, producing drinking water from rainwater is not automatically allowed in the Netherlands, he notes, referring to the exemption that must be granted by the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT). The quality of the drinking water, particularly its microbial safety, must be fully guaranteed. On the social side, the employees working in Doetinchem must be willing to drink water made from rainwater. There needs to be support for that, which requires proper communication and education, says Weijma.
The water-neutral installation is being designed and developed at Jotem’s site in Vriezenveen. The company has been involved from the start and helped draft the plans. We have worked closely with Nijhuis Saur Industries and Van Remmen for a long time, and together we have delivered many high-level innovations across various challenges, from design to co-building and maintenance, says Lisanne Schuttert, project manager for business development and innovation. In development processes, we are critical sparring partners. Blue Cycle fits perfectly into that. This is the first major project focused on developing a highly standardized water-neutral installation, making it an excellent opportunity to further combine our strengths. The time when we always had access to sufficient, affordable, usable water is over. Increasing scarcity makes it more important than ever to make use of every drop. That calls for innovation. When designing and testing the installation, we are already keeping full-scale systems in mind. This way, we will be able to meet broad market demand and ensure it does not remain a one-off installation in this specific building.
Initiators of BlueCycle receive European subsidy
Nijhuis Saur Industries, Jotem Water Solutions, Van Remmen UV Technology, drinking water company Vitens, developer DHG, and Betoncentrale Twenthe have been awarded a European subsidy for the BlueCycle project from the Eastern Netherlands Program 2021–2027.
For more information about the subsidy program, visit www.op-oost.eu.
Microbial safety
Producing drinking water from the rainwater that falls on the roof of the site is undoubtedly the biggest challenge of this project, says operational manager Remon Dekker of Van Remmen UV Technology. The most important thing is that there are no health risks. To guarantee microbial safety, we will connect the technical components to find not only the best but also the safest solution for producing drinking water quality. We contribute our expertise in UV-C disinfection. Blue Cycle offers an excellent opportunity to further advance our proven technology and integrate it into a safe water-neutral solution. Together, we are taking a significant step forward.
The availability of drinking water can no longer be taken for granted, so the necessity of water reuse is clear, says business development manager Micha van Aken of Vitens. Together with NSI, Jotem, and the Rijn en IJssel Water Authority, the drinking water company is involved in the pilot in Silvolde, where a decentralized concept for homes using rainwater reuse and soil infiltration of locally purified wastewater is being tested (see WaterForum Magazine 05-2024, page 14 and following). In Doetinchem, it is the first decentralized concept for commercial real estate, Van Aken explains. With a standardized industrial water solution, other companies such as offices and hotels can also benefit. The installation can offer an economically attractive alternative in areas with water scarcity, including the Netherlands. After all, we must try to reduce the demand for drinking water as much as possible.
Trust
Van Aken foresees that there will still be several hurdles to overcome in producing drinking water from rainwater on site. “We want to explore this possibility together with the initiators. There is a wealth of knowledge about water technology available within the project. I am fully confident that it will be technically feasible to produce safe and reliable drinking water. With our expertise in drinking water quality, we will assist and advise on how to guarantee this. In our laboratory, we will closely monitor the produced water in accordance with the requirements of the Drinking Water Act. We are committed to ensuring that the ILT approval will be granted, as we believe it is important to enable such decentralized solutions. I have great confidence this will succeed.”
According to development manager Peter van Wensveen of DHG, the innovative scalable water system has the potential to become a promising application for commercial real estate, allowing buildings to operate fully water-neutral. DHG specializes in logistics buildings and is developing the ‘Smartlog’ in Doetinchem for Nijhuis Saur Industries. “Sustainability is a top priority for us as a property developer. In ninety percent of our buildings, we include standard measures for water retention, delayed discharge, or infiltration systems. The ambition to be water-neutral goes much further, of course. It is a logical next step that appeals to us strongly. Once such a system is fully developed and proven, the cost price will come down. It can deliver an attractive technology that we want to implement in our future buildings. We face significant challenges. More and more new developments lack a drinking water connection, and likely will not get one. Also, longer dry periods are becoming more frequent, during which you still want to have sufficient water available. Such a decentralized solution can then provide an answer.”
Rainwater
Betoncentrale Twenthe, which has a facility next to NSI’s new location, will take the surplus rainwater. This means the company no longer needs to use groundwater or drinking water for concrete production. “We are constantly looking at recycling and reusing raw materials, including the water we use,” says Henk ter Welle, Production and Technology Manager responsible for quality and sustainability, a hot topic also in the concrete industry. “We reuse the water we use to rinse reclaimed concrete. Concrete production requires a substantial amount of water. The quality requirements for this water are not high. If we can replace part of it with rainwater, that is interesting. We are therefore happy to support this project. It is desirable to reuse water as much as possible. We are also concerned. The groundwater level in the region is dropping and we are extracting a lot of water from the soil. Every effort to reduce that volume is welcome.”
Drought
At the Rijn en IJssel Water Authority, account manager Dennis Roes is also positive about the development of a water-neutral installation. “What will happen at the Doetinchem location is part of a development that has been underway for some time: companies purifying and reusing the water they use on-site.
“A system to make buildings self-sufficient is next level,” emphasizes NSI’s chief technology officer Wilbert Menkveld. “We will be able to serve the market broadly with this.”
The water infiltrated into the soil is not only of good quality but also helps combat the drought we face in the Achterhoek during summer. Such a development can assist us in achieving the goals of the Water Framework Directive. We want to ensure that the quality of surface water does not deteriorate. Decentralized technology can be a strong driver for this. We are also very interested in the technology being developed. That is why we want to promote and support this initiative. We do so by contributing ideas and helping with, among other things, permit applications.”
Construction of the water-neutral industrial site is now in full swing. The pipeline network for the extensive water treatment system is already being installed. According to plan, the site will be operational early 2026. Nijhuis Saur Industries will then move its temporary assembly location from Groenlo to Doetinchem, where a total production area of 30,000 square meters will be ready, with approximately 200 employees expected to work there, of whom 150 will be involved in assembling the purification units and skids for the water technology company.