Water board tests De Aanneming pumping station in De Meern, preparing for drought

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DE MEERN > In order to be well prepared for extreme drought, the De Stichtse Rijnlanden Water Board will test the De Aanvoering pumping station in De Meern from 14 to 16 May 2024. On Tuesday, May 14 at 9:00 AM, the pumping station will turn on and the door will close in the Leidsche Rijn to the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal. The flow direction of the Leidsche Rijn is then reversed. During the test, which lasts until 9 a.m. on May 16, passage is not possible in two places: through the Haanwijkersluis in Harmelen and at the De Aanvoering pumping station in De Meern. The water level in the Leidsche and Oude Rijn is temporarily higher than normal.

Preparing for drought

The De Aanhopper pumping station is an important part of the Climate-proof Water Supply (KWA). This pumping station was specially built to pump freshwater via Leidsche and Oude Rijn to the west of the Netherlands during extreme drought. The availability of sufficient freshwater does not seem to be an issue in a country like the Netherlands. However, during extremely dry periods and low discharges from the major rivers, there is not enough freshwater everywhere in the western Netherlands. This is the result of salinization of the major rivers and the Hollandse IJssel. Via the KWA we then transport extra freshwater to the West of the Netherlands via various routes, including with the De Aanvoering pumping station. A number of adjustments have been made to this pumping station in the past year. That is why the water board is running the pumping station on a test basis.

More frequent extreme drought due to climate change

Sufficient freshwater is crucial for, among other things, the stability of dikes, for nature, agriculture and for the drinking water and electricity supply. Due to climate change, we are increasingly experiencing alternating periods of extreme drought and heavy rain. When the De Aanvoering pumping station was built, it was estimated that this pumping station would have to be used once every eight years. The first time was in 1993; then in 2003, 2011, 2018, 2019 and in 2022. In 2023 too, it was close to The Captain having to take action again. To be prepared for the future, the water board is working together with the Rijnland Water Board to expand the capacity of the KWA: KWA+, part of the Freshwater Delta Program.