Antwerp Water Works
Encyclopedia
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
for the city of Antwerp (Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
) and its surroundings. The AWW has a yearly production of 150 million m3 and a revenue of 100 million euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
.
History
Between 1832 and 1892, Antwerp was struck every ten to fifteen years by a major choleraCholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
epidemic which each time claimed a few thousand lives and lasted for about two years. In 1866 the cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
epidemic infected about 5000 people and about 3000 people died. Between 1861 and 1867 several propositions were done for a water supply for Antwerp. In 1873, under mayor Leopold De Wael
Leopold De Wael
Léopold Charles Norbert De Wael was a Belgian merchant and liberal politician.He was mayor of Antwerp, member of the provincial council of Antwerp and a Member of Parliament. His most important achievement was the straightening of the embankment of the Schelde. He tore down the North and South...
, it was decided that a concession should be granted to secure the water supply of the city.
On 25 June 1873, a concession of 50 years was granted to the English engineers, Joseph Quick from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, together with John Dick, to organize the water supply of Antwerp. Due to a lack of funds and a dispute between the partners this venture stranded. In 1879, the English engineering company Easton & Anderson took over the yards and the concession. Within two years they succeeded in finishing the work. An exploitation society was established: the Antwerp Waterworks Company Limited, a society according to English law which would be in charge of the exploitation from 1881 up to 1930.
The water was won from the Nete
Nete River
The Nete is a river in northern Belgium, right tributary of the Rupel. It flows through the Belgian province of Antwerp. It is formed in Lier, at the confluence of the rivers Grote Nete and Kleine Nete...
river at the bridge of Walem
Mechelen
Mechelen Footnote: Mechelen became known in English as 'Mechlin' from which the adjective 'Mechlinian' is derived...
. It was purified according to an original method: an iron filter. In the period 1881 up to 1908 the system was repaired repeatedly, until eventually a new method of filtration was chosen which was a combination of fast with slow sand filtration. This method of filtration is still being used today for the treatment of a large part of the raw material, now water from the Albert Canal
Albert Canal
The Albert Canal is a canal located in northeastern Belgium, named after King Albert I of Belgium. It connects the major cities Antwerp and Liège and the Meuse and Scheldt rivers. It has a depth of , a free height of and a total length of...
.
In 1930, the concession came to an end, as no agreement could be reached with the English owners concerning a new construction in which the municipalities surrounding Antwerp would be included. The city of Antwerp took over the company and founded a mixed intermunicipal company (private and public participation) in which the English Waterworks kept a minority participation. The remaining shares were in the hands of the city of Antwerp and the surrounding municipalities of Berchem
Berchem
The 'Ring', Antwerp's circular motorway which follows the track of the former city defense walls, cuts Berchem in two parts, separating the urban inner city area of Oud-Berchem from the more residential and suburban areas Groenenhoek en Nieuw Kwartier .-Demography:Berchem's total surface is over ,...
, Boechout
Boechout
Boechout is a municipality of Belgium located in the Flemish province of Antwerp.The municipality comprises the towns of Boechout proper and Vremde. On January 1, 2006 Boechout had a total population of 12,090. The total area is 20.66 km² which gives a population density of 585 inhabitants per...
, Borgerhout
Borgerhout
Borgerhout is a district of the municipality and city of Antwerp in the Flemish Region of Belgium. The district houses 41,614 inhabitants reflecting 90 nationalities...
, Deurne
Deurne
Deurne may refer to two towns:* Deurne, North Brabant, a municipality in North Brabant * Deurne, Belgium, a district of the city of Antwerp...
, Edegem
Edegem
Edegem is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality only comprises the town of Edegem proper. On January 1, 2006 Edegem had a total population of 21,668. The total area is 8.65 km² which gives a population density of 2,504 inhabitants per km²...
, Ekeren
Ekeren
Ekeren is a northern district of the municipality of Antwerp in the Flemish Region of Belgium. The suburb celebrated its 850th birthday in 2005; the name of the town was first mentioned in 1155, as "Hecerna"....
, Hoboken, Hove
Hove
Hove is a town on the south coast of England, immediately to the west of its larger neighbour Brighton, with which it forms the unitary authority Brighton and Hove. It forms a single conurbation together with Brighton and some smaller towns and villages running along the coast...
, Mortsel
Mortsel
Mortsel is a city and municipality close to the city of Antwerp located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality only comprises the city of Mortsel proper. On January 1, 2006 Mortsel had a total population of 24,427 people. The total area is 7.78 km² which gives a population density of...
, Kontich
Kontich
Kontich is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality comprises the towns of Kontich proper and Waarloos. On December 31, 2010 Kontich had a total population of 20,584...
and Wilrijk
Wilrijk
Wilrijk is a district of the municipality and city of Antwerp in the Flemish Region of Belgium. Wilrijk had been a separate municipality before January 1, 1983; the enlarged municipality of Antwerp was decentralized in 2000 and Wilrijk became one the city's nine districts.This suburb is also known...
. The English withdrew from the company in 1965. In the same year a new production site in Oelegem
Ranst
Ranst is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality comprises the towns of Broechem, Emblem, Oelegem and Ranst proper. On January 1, 2006 Ranst had a total population of 17,827. The total area is 43.58 km² which gives a population density of 409 inhabitants per km²....
was established and a new office building in Antwerp. During the dry summer of 1976 it became clear that the reserve capacity needed to be expanded and in 1982 the reservoir of Broechem
Ranst
Ranst is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality comprises the towns of Broechem, Emblem, Oelegem and Ranst proper. On January 1, 2006 Ranst had a total population of 17,827. The total area is 43.58 km² which gives a population density of 409 inhabitants per km²....
was inaugurated. The second concession ended after 53 years, so in 1983 a new concession to the AWW was granted.
In 2003 Brabo Industrial Water Solutions (BIWS) started, a cooperation with Ondeo Industrial Solutions, to provide water tailored for the industry. In 2004 the RI-ANT project started (together with Aquafin
Aquafin
Aquafin is a Belgian company specialized in wastewater treatment and mainly active in Flanders. Luc Bossyns is the managing director of Aquafin.-History:The company was established in 1990 by the Flemish government, which is also its sole shareholder...
), which takes over the management and the maintenance of sewerage network of Antwerp.
See also
- EU water policy
- Public water supply
- Water purificationWater purificationWater purification is the process of removing undesirable chemicals, materials, and biological contaminants from contaminated water. The goal is to produce water fit for a specific purpose...
- Antwerp ruien
Sources
- AWW
- AWW History (Dutch)