Added capacity for the Elshout sluice

• Share online:
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Linkedin

The added capacity effectively means that in the near future, the Elshout sluice will be able to release a maximum of 1.5 million litres of water into the river… Every single minute! Doubling the capacity is one of the measures set out in the A5H Zoning Programme of the Rivierenland Distict Water Board. It is based on the ‘Outlook for 2050’ plan, which aims to implement a climate-proof system for water management in the Alblasserwaard area. In a recent operation, new pumping shafts were installed. Now, the actual pumps are being hoisted into position. It’s the kind of job that is unlikely to go unnoticed…

Both the J.U. Smit and G.N. Kok pumping stations use their Archimedean screws to lever the water up from the Lower Basins into a sluice reservoir. From there on out, the water can flow freely into the River Lek, except when the river’s water level is too high. When that happens, the High Basins of the Overwaard and Nederwaard areas are used for additional storage. Part of this storage capacity will be lost due to the decision to lower the maximum water levels in the Overwaard Basin. The maximum will be set to +.25m NAP in order to reduce the risk of shoreline collapse. Increasing the capacity of the Elshout sluice was necessary to compensate for the loss of storage in the basins. The expansion is scheduled to be completed later this month.

(Source: Rivierenland District Water Board)