Uitdaging

Prompted by the threat of water scarcity in Flanders (limited possibilities for pumping groundwater, increasing periods of drought), TRANSfarm wants to explore, with this project on its pilot farm, the possibilities to maximize recovery of rainwater collected in water basins and use it on site for various applications on a small scale. TRANSfarm is considering the following applications: installation of floating solar panels on the water basin for local renewable energy production, including local energy use, use of the collected rainwater in an aquaculture facility, use of the collected rainwater for a 'smart' irrigation system.

The intention is to explore and validate these (and possibly other) uses for rainwater in the vicinity of TRANSfarm's test farm and in their interrelationship/combination. In this way, the extent to which these applications for reuse of rainwater on a small scale can add value and lead to a positive business case and possibly new business models for the construction of water basins can be examined with a pilot setup. If successful, Flemish farms could then eventually adopt this model for recuperation of rainwater partially/wholly.