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Dinxperlo in the Achterhoek has recently acquired a new future-proof center. The center has been transformed from a drab petrified parking lot into a beautiful, green and attractive place to stay. But what makes the center of Dinxperlo so future-proof?
Climate change plays an important role in this story. Rain showers are becoming more intense and our summers regularly hotter and drier. The question then is: How do you deal with that? Applying less pavement and more greenery (trees, shrubs and plants) is the answer. They absorb water and provide cooling with their shade and evaporation. But what if it stays dry for too long? Do we then turn on the water tap to provide water for all that greenery? Of course not. Rainwater is the solution.
In dry periods, all the rainwater that previously fell in abundance is long gone. So what if you collect rainwater and store it underground? And that is exactly what is happening in Dinxperloo, because rainwater is golden.
So how does that work in practice? It is quite difficult to get an idea of this, because all the solutions needed to keep the greenery green are ‘hidden’ under the ground. Rainwater is collected with gullies. Then the water is purified of all the pollution that comes along from the street. Then the water is stored in a huge water buffer under the ground. Meanwhile, sensors monitor the moisture of the soil around the plants. If the soil is too dry, a signal is automatically sent, triggering the watering system. As much as possible, this is done underground or at night so that precious water evaporates as little as possible.
Hot summers make you realize that it is not desirable to use precious drinking water for planting. That is why it is so important to cherish pure rainwater. Dinxperlo, with a number of other municipalities in the Netherlands, is a pioneer in this area. Other ACO Green City projects are being or have been realized in the municipality of Raalte, Zutphen, Hardenberg and Tiel. We would be happy to tell you more about them.
