Problem

The problem of the subsoil of Utrecht is that several pollutions from different sources are mixed due to time. In total 180 million m3 groundwater is polluted with VOC's. Due to the mixing of the pollutions a single case approach is impossible. The total area of the subsoil that is polluted is approximately 700 Ha. The total area of redevelopment within Utrecht is 90 Ha and is mainly developed by closed and historical buildings, with wooden floors etc.

In the Utrecht central station area the deeper groundwater will be remediated by a combination of ATES (Aquifer Thermal Heat Storage) and biological natural attenuation.

At present the boundaries of the aquifer system and its pollutions are not 100% defined. Neither are the exact positions of all source zones known or what the biological potential in natural conditions is.

Aim

The aim of the pilot is to define the present conditions in the subsoil, and after installation of ATES systems in the area to measure the influence of ATES on the geo-hydrological system and to measure and predict the effects on pollutions and geochemical conditions during an area-oriented remediation approach in the Utrecht central station area.

Planning

We will reach these goals by a combination of the following steps:

Results

The results - practical application and financies - of the pilots during an area-oriented approach will be compared, with results of traditional monitoring for comparable pollutions.

Factsheet