With the biowashing machine to remediate the subsoil of the station area, the city of Utrecht on 14 December last has been chosen as one of the best sustainability projects of municipalities in the Netherlands in 2011. The jury described the Utrecht approach as an innovative example where an additional win-win situation is achieved by realizing a link between sustainable use of energy and soil remediation. The reaction of alderman Mirjam de Rijk (Economy and Sustainability) to the nomination was: "The Biowashing machine shows that the cooperation between the municipality, private parties, and science leads to innovative solutions that enable sustainable growth."

To treath the soil- and groundwater polution around the station area, the municipality has developed the biowashing machine. The system is similar to a washing machine. Instead of dirty laundry detergent and water reacts in the biowashing machine pollution, bacteria and groundwater together. The biowashing machine allows for large-scale renewable energy (Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES)) to apply. This approach supports natural processes in the subsoil when cleaning the contaminated groundwater in the first 50 meters of the subsurface in Utrecht. This is an area that covers 60% of the city. Altogether, thirty contaminated sites caused by drycleaners and small metallurgical industries are remediated. This approach of groundwater remediation is the largest in urban area in the Netherlands.

Collaboration and innovation

This first edition of the award for most sustainable City 2011 is an initiative of the Association of Dutch Municipalities (VNG), the Dutch Financial Times (Financieel dagblad) and GDF Suez. They want to get the best local initiatives for sustainability rewarded. This price should encourage municipalities to contribute to the achievement of ambitious sustainability goals of the government and the European Union. The jury headed by Herman Wijffels judged the entries on innovation and applicability in other municipalities. The municipality Beesel won in the category Projects to renovate their town. More information about the price (in Dutch) is available at www.duurzaamstegemeenteprijs.nl

The Biowashing machine is a cooperation of the municipality of Utrecht with surrounding companies such as Corio, ProRail, Rabobank and Trade centre “Jaarbeurs Utrecht”. The biowashing machine is one of the pilots within the European project CityChlor, that works on greater knowledge of an integrated approach to large scale groundwater remediation. This gives the biowashing machine next to its significance for the city of Utrecht, a national and international reputation.

For more information contact mr. Albert de Vries, StadsOntwikkeling, municipality Utrecht, +31 (0)30 - 286 4717