Dealing responsibly with our nursery’s (waste) water
01 nov The nursery’s waste water flow is extremely minimal and its waste water processes are constantly being optimised and made increasingly sustainable. Waste water used to be disposed of via the sewers, but these days, it is converted into 100% reusable feed water for the flowers. The water is stored and cleaned via UV radiation and heating, an extremely efficient water recycling method, and then stored in silos outside of the greenhouses – a massively sustainable investment!
New legislation and regulations
Forty years ago, when Mr Weerheim founded our gerbera nursery, disposing of your waste water via a nearby creek was the standard way of doing things. Afterwards, sewers made for a decent, legal option. However, more stringent rules apply to the disposal of waste water nowadays. De Zuidplas has chosen a very sustainable method: recycling its waste water to generate |(new) feed water.
“A relatively small investment can result in the collection, storage and cleaning of waste water. Once the water has been cleaned, it is perfect for being reused as feed water.”
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Environmentally friendly solution
The water stored in the silos on our grounds initially contains too high a concentration of pesticides. The waste water is mixed with clean water to find the right composition and balance to make up healthy feed water for our gerberas. This way, De Zuidplas is not only curbing costs, but also limiting emissions to benefit the environment.
Recycling on site
Our gerberas need the right ratio of feed water to fertiliser in order to grow optimally and maintain proper production rates. At the end of the line, this results in waste water. We collect said waste water in silos, where the recycling process takes place. Every two weeks, the collected water is checked to see whether it has reached the right fertiliser levels to be reused as feed water.
