Smart water storage should keep Mierlo and Geldrop dry
To prevent flooding during heavy rain, we are constructing water storage cellars and green wadis. These measures must ensure that the streets in Mierlo and Geldrop do not flood again, as they did in June 2020. The locations were chosen based on a climate stress test, which used computer simulations to Map the vulnerable areas. The city council previously made three million euros available for this approach.
Water storage at sports hall De Weijer
One of the storage cellars will be at De Weijer sports hall in Mierlo. A smart underground water tank has been installed there that can collect 500 cubic meters of rainwater. Thanks to sensors and software, the basin is automatically emptied before a heavy shower. That stored water is valuable: in the summer it is used for watering young plantings and as a fire extinguishing water reserve for the fire department.
The water tank is completely underground, which means that the area on top can continue to be used as usual. Visitors will soon be able to park there again to exercise without noticing what is going on under their feet.
Reducing flooding
Alderman cannot give any guarantees: "We can never solve water problems, only reduce the chance of nuisance." Alderman water Hans van de Laar himself climbed into the bin last week to symbolically place the final segments. "People here have already had water in their homes several times during peak rainstorms, and the gymnasiums of the sports hall were also flooded far too often. The water comes up there through the toilets. I hope that this gunk has come to an end," said Van de Laar.
In addition to the storage cellars, wadis have been constructed earlier, including in Vesperstraat and Beemdstraat. We also call on businesses and residents to help with water collection themselves, for example by constructing their own
wadis.
With these smart solutions, we are taking an important step toward a climate-resilient future.