Without water, no agriculture. That’s why a proper water table and a balanced water inventory are of crucial importance. Unfortunately, fresh water supplies are being impacted by rising sea levels, among other factors. Salinisation causes damage to agriculture. In addition, the remaining fresh water often contains surpluses
of nitrogen and phosphorus, since fertilisers end up in the soil and water.
Problems in the agricultural sector extend beyond our country’s borders. Countries with a scarcity of water face both extreme drought and the salinisation of groundwater in coastal areas. There is a need for a method to
store water underground (after a period of heavy rains, for example) and to recycle used water.
We can process groundwater in coastal areas using various desalination techniques. Another solution is the construction of a closed water system in greenhouse horticulture. Technologies that enable this are an important export product to areas with a scarcity of water. With the (biological) recovery of metals, sulphur, phosphates and selenium, the water cycle can be closed by re-using purified wastewater for irrigation. Any nutrients, such as ammonium nitrate or struvite, can be re-used as fertiliser in agriculture. Another (partial) solution is the placement of sensors that measure conditions of soil dampness. In this way, farmers can adapt their irrigation and they can then consume water more efficiently.
The WAC provides and manages membrane installations. This allows you to do research into new membrane modules and to filter salts more efficiently. The WAC also provides installations for biological decomposition
and recovery processes.