Three Smart Solutions to Tackle Waterlogging
In Klimmen, the municipality will significantly expand the existing rainwater buffer, the Heek. They will receive a subsidy of €167,149.95 for this. This will allow for an additional 1,400,000 liters (1,400 m³) of rainwater to be temporarily collected. This means that the adjacent houses will face less risk during heavy rain. The impact of this measure will also be noticeable in the neighboring municipality as less water flows towards Valkenburg aan de Geul.
In Voerendaal-Oost, the municipality is starting a second project to prevent damage and nuisance during heavy downpours. Rainwater will be separated from the sewage system, temporarily stored in a water buffer, and then controlledly discharged. This is particularly important in the hilly area to prevent damage from runoff water. A subsidy amount of €500,000.00 has been made available for this project.
The third project, for which a subsidy of €93,411.00 is available, focuses on the ponds in the center of Voerendaal. These play an important role in capturing rainwater during heavy downpours. At the pond adjacent to the Furenthela shopping center, the slope will be raised by 0.5 meters at several locations. This will allow the pond to store more water, significantly reducing the risk of waterlogging in the shopping center during extreme rainfall.
Rapid Implementation with Subsidy from the Opportunity Scheme
With the support of the WRL opportunity scheme, the municipality can act quickly and decisively. Alderman Pierre Verbraak of the municipality of Voerendaal states: In the municipality of Voerendaal, there are several locations where heavy rainfall poses a significant risk of waterlogging in homes. Together with Water Board Limburg, we are already preparing measures at various locations. Thanks to the subsidies from WRL, we can now act faster at three locations to tackle these problems.
Michael Theuns, chairman of the Regional Action Table WRL, adds: The strength of the opportunity scheme lies in supporting concrete, quickly implementable measures that fit into a broader regional approach. It is great to see that Voerendaal is realizing multiple projects with the help of this subsidy scheme.
About the Opportunity Scheme
The opportunity scheme is a subsidy scheme of the Water Safety and Space Limburg (WRL) program, aimed at enabling measures that contribute to reducing waterlogging in the short term. WRL was established after the floods in July 2021 and is a collaboration between the Province of Limburg, Water Board Limburg, the Limburg municipalities, and the State. The first tranche of the scheme runs until December 15, 2025. Anyone with a good plan for reducing waterlogging can submit an application, provided it does not have adverse effects on other locations. For more information, visit www.wachtnietopwater.nl/kansenregeling (refers to another website) (opens external website).