Modave, a century-old water catchment

At Modave, one of the largest underground water catchments in Belgium, VIVAQUA has excavated 6 km of galleries to collect water from the underground aquifer.

VIVAQUA draws water from the source of the river Le Hoyoux, a right-bank affluent of the Meuse. Modave is an important element in the VIVAQUA production network. It produces 65,000 m³ of water a day, which supplies the Brussels Region and several Walloon municipalities.

The history of the Modave catchment dates back to 1882, when King Leopold II launched a call for projects to supply Brussels and other major Belgian cities with drinking water. In 1907, VIVAQUA took over the project and began the works. The catchment and the water pipes bringing the water to the capital were inaugurated on 20 May 1922.