LIFE WATERSOURCE: Demonstrating a Climate-Resilient Drinking Water Source, Adopting Nature-Based Solutions

Introduction

LIFE WATERSOURCE demonstrates the unique potential of a nature-based solution for drinking water production from surface water in Lake IJsselmeer to counter the emerging risk of surface water salination due to climate change, whilst boosting the lake’s ecology, which is part of Natura 2000.

Project Objectives

This project demonstrates:

1. Securing the source for drinking water, regardless of present and future water stress due to climate change, whilst adding essential ecotopes.
2. A nature-based solution that can compete economically with technological alternatives to secure drinking water production—most notably, desalination and the importation of water from other sources.
3. That the LIFE WATERSOURCE solution is more sustainable, and that securing drinking water availability can even substantially benefit the wider environment.

Rationale

We want to break away from endlessly searching for more technologically advanced purification methods, which are chemical- and energy-intensive, create chemically polluted waste streams, and/or add further to climate change with a high CO2 footprint.

Methodology

The project includes water intake from Lake IJsselmeer via a purifying ecotope, including a meandering helophyte filter and bank filtration, in combination with reservoirs that are constructed to meet interrupted intake when the water quality is too poor due to low river discharge to the lake.

Ecological Benefits

The purifying ecotope will provide a broad littoral zone of shallow waters around the reservoir. This does not only purify the water that is taken into the reservoir, but also offers fish and birds an important breeding habitat that will boost the ecological quality of Lake IJsselmeer.

Impact and Replication

LIFE WATERSOURCE will demonstrate the positive business case of this nature-based solution. Furthermore, by demonstrating its substantial, even rapid, replication potential, the project will inspire other drinking water companies and water authorities across Europe and beyond to do the same.