Dry feet Netherlands: competition Nering Bögel

The Netherlands is known worldwide for its water management, but taming the sea is not enough to keep our feet dry, however! Due to the climate problem, rain showers cause a lot of inconvenience. That is annoying enough, but when nuisance turns into disruption of the existing infrastructure and entire residential neighborhoods, shopping areas and industrial sites flood, it can start to cause enormous damage. 

Where a small business can be great in
Drainage of rainwater is therefore just as important, and an ancient Dutch company has been the expert in this since 1756: Nering Bögel. These are the words of Richard Janssen (owner) and Toin Bongers (director) of Nering Bögel. Richard: "Internationally, the Netherlands is an important player in the field of water management. A collaboration between TU Delft, eScienceCentre and the University of Utrecht resulted in the 'eWaterCycle Project'. Extremely complex software software and highly intelligent sensors are in contact with satellites, enabling a prediction to be made of when an area is going to be hit by a tidal wave/severe flooding. With this prediction, immediate action can be taken. The Netherlands has still been spared this caliber of flooding, but flooding caused by more and more rainwater is becoming increasingly threatening."

Toin indicates: "Nering Bögel deals with the processing of rainwater in the form of collection, conduction, buffering, infiltration, etc. This includes large paved areas such as marshalling yards, distribution centers and airports." Here immediately is the limitation: local flooding. But a breakthrough in feasible models for extreme flooding in cities, towns and roads is of course of a completely different caliber.  Because there is not yet an answer for this issue, Nering Bögel is looking for creative ideas to spark viable models.

Completely under a residential area, now there are also recreational opportunities. With geothermal heat we turn it into a water paradise. (Example by Nering Bögel)

The water think tank of the Netherlands
"This is why we are launching a multi-year competition (at least three years), where we want to challenge all the bright minds in the Netherlands in the field of water management. A number of universities, colleges and other important knowledge institutes will be approached to register for this competition. If you too have an idea, please register! A prominent jury led by Nick van de Giesen (TU Delft, holding the Van Kuffeler Chair, Water Management at the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences since 2004) will judge everything, rewarding the most appealing creations." Richard further explains: "From the submissions, we want to form a think tank of students, project developers and interested financiers. We will then work with this group of specialists to find solutions for the future.

Only build a water buffer plant under the road surface, for reuse, of course.
(example by Nering Bögel)

Toin concludes, "It should not be a question of deciding whether something is reasonably feasible, but rather what the possibilities might be. It must become a true creative factory, unhampered by existing limitations and not discouraged by the well-known NO callers. The role of Nering Bögel is to facilitate and think along. We have a large network in the building industry in the Netherlands and we like to bring the business community, project developers and financiers together in this way. The goal is to actually build."

The launch of this action was announced by Nering Bögel at the Infratech in Rotterdam. 

Prize money:

• 1st prize: 5000 euros
• 2nd prize: 3,500 euros
• 3rd prize: 2,500 euros
• In addition, there are five prizes of 1,000 euros.

Start of registration: January 15, 2019 via the website www.neringbogel.nl (Raincontest 2019 button)