Drinking water production
Water is a natural resource. VIVAQUA uses it while respecting nature, people who live near it and future generations.
In our 26 catchment sites, our company uses groundwater and surface water, and performs appropriate treatment to provide you with excellent quality water.
Groundwater
Approximately 70 % of the water produced by VIVAQUA is of underground origin. Often naturally pure, it requires little or no treatment.
Galleries
Water is captured in drainage galleries dug into the heart of the aquifer. The galleries, which are sometimes several kilometres long, can be more than 60 m underground.
Vedrin mine
Only one mine still has an industrial activity in Belgium, and it is VIVAQUA that operates it, collecting the approximately 22,000 m³ of water that seeps into it every day.
Wells or boreholes
Pipes of variable diameter bury into the aquifer. The upper part is watertight above the water table and the part that buries into the water table is pierced by a large number of small openings enabling water collection.
Reserve catchment sites
In the event of high demand, VIVAQUA uses reserve catchment sites that collect water accumulated in former quarries.
Surface water
The Tailfer plant converts raw water from the Meuse into drinking water and provides 29 % of our total production. The water pumped into the river is made drinkable thanks to complex treatment and under strict surveillance. It is VIVAQUA’s only surface water catchment site and it is also the one with the largest production capacity.
Discover the plant in pictures
Virtual tour
A secure production network
This complex and reliable network extends over some 500 km and leads the water from the place where it is collected to the place where it is consumed. It has grown in line with our customers’ needs. Securing our production tool thanks to an interconnected network makes it possible to meet water demand, even in the event of an incident in the network. Each day, Central Dispatching distributes the water produced to supply the various reservoirs according to consumption forecasts.
Conveyance network
The conveyance network routes water from the catchment site to the reservoirs. This fully integrated and coordinated system includes various structures: aqueducts, feeders, reservoirs, balancing tower, etc.
Storage reservoirs
The main axes of the conveyance network complete their journey in high capacity reservoirs. VIVAQUA uses them to store the water produced at its various catchment sites.
24-hour monitoring
The water is continuously monitored at each stage of its production, conveyance and distribution. Central Dispatching monitors and manages all catchment sites and the entire conveyance network. A monitoring system indicates any possible anomalies relating to the water or automatic equipment.
FAQ
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No. Rainwater is not drinkable and is not even reliable for regular personal hygiene.
Why?
Because rainwater is polluted by that which is present in the atmosphere:
- significant concentration of lead
- concentration of car exhaust gases that are not fully burned
- SO2 (sulphur dioxide)
- fumes from the waste incinerator and chemical plant chimneys, etc.
In addition, rainwater runs over roofs covered in dust and soiled by birds. After a few months, the tank is a veritable breeding ground for microbes.
When can rainwater be used?
It can be suitable for certain domestic uses: cleaning, washing, rinsing toilets, watering the garden, etc.
If you want to install a rainwater system in your home, make perfectly sure that it is completely and permanently separated from the drinking water system to avoid contaminating the latter.
Contact your water company for technical information. It should also be noted that the installation of a rainwater recovery system remains a significant investment which cannot always be recovered financially.