News

  • Test site Werder (Germany) shows successful infiltration
    5 March 2024
    In addition to several test sites in the Netherlands, a test site was installed in Werder, northeastern Germany by Hölscher Wasserbau GmbH. The test arrangement consists of 8 hw-dsi-infiltration units with total depth up to 25.0 m below ground level. On the test site, rain ...

Innovation in rainwater infiltration

Climate change scenarios predict more extreme precipitation. This will rapidly result in flooding, especially in urban areas, as they do not have the ability to discharge large quantities of rainwater quickly.

Using the technique of Fast High Volume Infiltration (FHVI), large quantities of rainwater can be infiltrated into the water-discharging soil layers within a short period of time. The system is relatively simple and does not occupy much space, enabling easy installation in urban areas. The technique is sustainable and is associated with fewer costs and less maintenance in the long term than other systems. The infiltration of rainwater also prevents the soil from drying out.
 

EU LIFE-project AERFIT

FHVI is a system that directly infiltrates rainwater into the water-discharging layers of the soil. The FHVI technique has been tested in Germany and in the Netherlands with good results, enabling its eligibility for EU grants from the LIFE programme.

Using the grant, a pilot project will be conducted in the municipality of Apeldoorn. From 2019 till 2022, 150 FHVI infiltration wells will be installed in Apeldoorn. These wells will be monitored for two
years. The results will be distributed among governments and professionals in the Netherlands and the EU with the objective of preventing flooding damage to urban areas in the EU through the application of FHVI.

LIFE AERFIT objectives

  • Provide proof of effectiveness of the technique in the event of extreme rainfall (T10), widespread applicability, scalability and favourable costs compared to other techniques.
  • Distributing the results of the project to governments and professionals in the EU.