Flood control in the Brussels Region
VIVAQUA designs, builds and manages the majority of storm water basins In the Brussels-Capital Region.
Our capital city is built on a marshy area and urban development has resulted in the sealing of the soil (mainly due to road surfacing). Some more vulnerable neighbourhoods are regularly affected by flooding. One solution is to build and manage storm water basins. VIVAQUA also provides technical advice to residents in flood zones.
The role of storm water basins
To fight this problem, VIVAQUA manages some 30 storm water basins that are always ready to absorb large volumes of water in the event of heavy rains. The water flows into them as soon as it rises above a certain height in the sewer network, to avoid flooding. After the flood, VIVAQUA inspects the storm water basins to remedy any damage as quickly as possible and return the facility to service for the next storm.
How does a storm water basin work?
Design and construction of storm water basins
The flood control system that VIVAQUA owns or is responsible for currently comprises some 30 storm water basins.
The specialists from our Design Office design and supervise the construction of storm water basins. They define their capacity using hydraulic simulations based on the characteristics of the sewer network and on the rainfall statistics of the RMI (Royal Meteorological Institute).
Two tubular storm water basins, the Ukkelbeek in Uccle and Grandchamp in Woluwe-Saint-Pierre, were constructed using the tunnel boring machine technique. It is often used when the density of the neighbourhood does not allow the freeing up of a sufficient surface area for the setting up of a traditional storm basin.
Private storm water basins
VIVAQUA commissions and inspects private storm water basins in the Brussels-Capital Region. An inspection is now mandatory every five years to check the proper functioning of the storm water basin and of its equipment.