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Good practice Imported

Torreele/St-André Dune Infiltration Reuse — Reclaimed Water Recharging a Coastal Drinking-Water Aquifer (Belgium)

Belgium · Koksijde · See the Belgium profile

Evidence: Observational / pre–post Top 58% 40/100 · Ask Evidence Copilot about this practice

Since 2002, IWVA has treated secondary wastewater effluent through ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis at Torreele, infiltrating up to 2.5 million m3/year into the St-André dunes — supplying 40.6% of drinking-water demand and reversing seawater intrusion risk.

up to 2.5 million m3/year
Annual infiltration volume
40.6%
Share of IWVA's drinking-water demand
~6,850 m3/day
Daily infiltration volume

Details

Maturity
Established
Promoter
Intermunicipal Water Company of Veurne-Ambacht (IWVA)
Period
2002–present
Region (NUTS)
BE25
Keywords
water utilities, water reuse, coastal aquifer management, drinking water

Context

Belgium's coastal water utility IWVA (Intermunicipal Water Company of Veurne-Ambacht) supplies drinking water to the Flemish coast from a freshwater lens trapped in the dunes near Veurne — a resource that by the late 1980s could no longer keep pace with growing demand, squeezed by saltwater on both sides.

Objectives

IWVA aimed to reuse treated wastewater to recharge the dune aquifer and remove the risk of seawater intrusion.

Activities

In 2002, IWVA opened the Torreele facility next to the Wulpen wastewater treatment plant, polishing secondary treated effluent through submerged ultrafiltration (Zenon ZeeWeed) followed by reverse osmosis, then infiltrating the purified water into the existing dune water catchment of St-André at Koksijde.

Results

Torreele now produces up to 2.5 million m3 of infiltration water per year (about 6,850 m3/day), equivalent to 40.6% of IWVA's total drinking-water demand. Dune groundwater levels have risen, and the long-standing risk of seawater intrusion into the aquifer is no longer considered a concern.

Conclusions

Because the dunes are an environmentally sensitive habitat, infiltration water must meet stringent quality standards, and later operational studies of the site have documented long-term membrane fouling and maintenance challenges that any replicating utility should plan for.

Implementation
Indicative cost
High (€500k–€5M) — No public cost figures are reported in the reviewed sources; the scheme uses capital-intensive membrane treatment infrastructure.
Time to results
Long (> 3 years) — Facility opened in 2002 and has operated continuously since; further expansion is planned.
Staffing & skills
Intermunicipal Water Company of Veurne-Ambacht (IWVA) — utility owner/operator

Conditions for success

  • Access to a suitable secondary-treated wastewater source (the adjacent Wulpen plant) to feed the reuse train
  • Advanced treatment (ultrafiltration plus reverse osmosis) to meet stringent dune-ecosystem water-quality standards
  • Ongoing membrane maintenance to manage long-term fouling

Common failure modes

  • Long-term operational studies have documented membrane fouling and maintenance challenges

Where it fits

Governance type
single intermunicipal utility
Scale
regional (Flemish coast around Veurne/Koksijde)
Income level
high-income

Commonly funded by

Own resources / municipal budget

Indicative funding routes for practices of this type — always check each programme's current calls and eligibility rules.

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Data sources

Where this practice's information was retrieved from, and when.

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