Enschede and Surrounding Areas
Plenty of Safe Drinking Water
New Water Supply Network for Vitens Production Facility
Residents and businesses in Enschede and surrounding areas will have abundant clean and safe drinking water for years to come. A new well field near Ypelo and a new water supply network at Vitens’ production facility in Wierden will ensure this.
‘This was an exceptional project as we had to coordinate with Rijkswaterstaat’s work on doubling the N35 highway. This required relocating six pipelines, signal cables, and a medium-voltage cable,’ says Vitens project manager Peter Brockhuis. ‘A tight schedule and clear communication between Vitens and A.Hak, as well as between A.Hak’s business units, led to excellent results.’
New Well Field
Water company Vitens continuously invests in its 47,500-kilometer pipeline network. In 2011 alone, around 63 million euros were invested in new pipelines, representing 48.5 percent of the total investment budget. One of the company’s recent projects is the construction of a new well field in Ypelo and a new water supply network at the production facility in Wierden. The work is partly related to the severe fire at tire manufacturer Vredestein in Enschede in 2003. The Twente Canal became so polluted that Vitens had to stop drawing water from it. This necessitated the construction of an additional water pipeline from the Wierden pumping station to Enschede.
‘We began work in March 2012,’ says project manager Elroy Jansen from A.Hak Infranet North-East region. ‘It was a complex assignment as we had to combine the installation of new pipelines with the reconstruction of existing ones. We also had to coordinate with Rijkswaterstaat’s work, as they’re extending the A35 to Zwolle. Exactly where all pipelines converge at the Wierden pumping station, Rijkswaterstaat and the municipality of Wierden wanted to create an on and off-ramp. That’s why these pipelines were relocated in advance.’
Eighteen Horizontal Directional Drillings
Challenges
A.Hak Drillcon performed eighteen horizontal directional drillings for the project, totaling approximately 3,900 meters. Additionally, A.Hak Infranet South region handled the installation of a 10kV cable for the well field’s power supply, while project manager Elroy Jansen coordinated the project. ‘We installed various PVC/HPE water pipes, ranging in diameter from 160 to 560 mm. Two raw water pipelines run from the new well field to the pumping station. There, Vitens purifies the pumped water to make it suitable for drinking. We also installed various outgoing pipelines at the pumping station. These ensure that residents of Enschede and other municipalities around Wierden have access to sufficient clean and safe drinking water.’
Jansen and his team encountered various challenges during the project. They had to drill under railways four times and under highways six times. ‘Additionally, it was extremely hot this past summer. Therefore, we had to keep interruptions to the water supply as brief as possible. Through careful planning, we succeeded in this.’
Hygienic Work Practices
Working hygienically was also crucial. ‘These are drinking water pipes, after all, and they must be completely free from contamination. Through careful installation of the pipes and connections, as well as proper material storage, no contamination was detected. This allowed Vitens to put the pipes into immediate use. Fortunately so, because if you need to flush and take water samples again, it takes five days before the results are known and the line can be recommissioned. And with the hot weather, supply had to be guaranteed.’
According to him, the majority of the work is now complete. ‘The new pipelines are installed, and we’re currently busy removing the old ones. After good consultation with the current landowners, we expect to have removed all old pipelines by the end of October.’
Very Satisfied Client
Vitens project manager Peter Brockhuis is very pleased with the progress of the work. ‘Before starting, we knew it would be very complicated due to the installation of different types of pipes and cable work. The Rijkswaterstaat activities and the presence of the railway that needed to be drilled under didn’t make it any easier. That’s why we had extensive discussions beforehand. Subsequently, A.Hak North-East created a tight schedule and maintained clear communication throughout, which has helped us complete the majority of the work with excellent results.’
The Drillings
- Eighteen horizontal directional drillings totaling approximately 3,900 meters
- Smallest drilling 80 meters, longest drilling approximately 600 meters
- Four drillings under railway
- Six drillings under highway
