Zenne
Encyclopedia
The Zenne or Senne (French
) is a small river that flows through Brussels
, left tributary of the Dijle
/Dyle. Its source is in the municipality of Soignies
. It is an indirect tributary of the Scheldt
, through the Dijle
and the Rupel
. The Woluwe
is one of the tributaries of the Zenne.
In total the Zenne is 103 km long.
In the centre of Brussels, the Zenne was completely covered up
and major boulevards were built over top in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It is still visible in the outskirts of Brussels and outside the city, though within the city it now runs mostly underneath the small ring. The Zenne was notorious for being one of Belgium's worst polluted
rivers, since all effluent
s from the Brussels Capital Region were versed in it without treatment. In March 2007, the completion of new sewage treatment
plants, began to remediate this problem. However, in December 2009 the plant Brussels Nord of Aquiris was temporarily and abruptly shut down, creating a political and ecological crisis.
The Golden Iris
became used as the emblem of the Brussels-Capital Region due to its habitat in the marshy plains around the river. The unique seasonal wild yeast
s of the Zenne river valley are used in the production of the regional lambic
style of beer
.
Despite the covering up of the Zenne resulting in the river being all but invisible in the centre of Brussels, it has had a cultural impact on the city. A nickname for residents of the city, 'Zinneke', is taken from the stray dogs which hung around the Zenne in the middle ages, known as 'Zenneke' or 'Zinneke'. The name was revived at the start of the 21st century with the creation of the Zinneke Parade
, a multicultural biennial event in the centre of Brussels.
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
) is a small river that flows through Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, left tributary of the Dijle
Dijle
Dyle or Dijle or historically the River Dyle in English, is a river in central Belgium, left tributary of the Rupel. It is long. It flows through the Belgian provinces of Walloon Brabant, Flemish Brabant and Antwerp...
/Dyle. Its source is in the municipality of Soignies
Soignies
Soignies is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut.The municipality is composed of the Town of Soignies together with the villages of Casteau, Chaussée-Notre-Dame-Louvignies, Horrues, Neufvilles, Naast and Thieusies...
. It is an indirect tributary of the Scheldt
Scheldt
The Scheldt is a 350 km long river in northern France, western Belgium and the southwestern part of the Netherlands...
, through the Dijle
Dijle
Dyle or Dijle or historically the River Dyle in English, is a river in central Belgium, left tributary of the Rupel. It is long. It flows through the Belgian provinces of Walloon Brabant, Flemish Brabant and Antwerp...
and the Rupel
Rupel
The Rupel is a tidal river in northern Belgium, right tributary of the Scheldt. It is about 12 km long. It flows through the Belgian province Antwerp. It is formed by the confluence of the rivers Dijle and Nete, in Rumst. It flows into the Scheldt at Rupelmonde. Towns along the Rupel are...
. The Woluwe
Woluwe
The Woluwe is a stream that goes through several municipalities in the southeast and east of Brussels and is a right tributary of the Senne/Zenne . The Kleine Maalbeek is a tributary of the Woluwe . Many ponds formed along the stream over time, among which the Mellaerts Ponds still exist...
is one of the tributaries of the Zenne.
In total the Zenne is 103 km long.
In the centre of Brussels, the Zenne was completely covered up
Covering of the Senne
The covering of the Senne was one of the defining events in the history of Brussels. The Senne/Zenne was historically the main waterway of Brussels, but it became more polluted and less navigable as the city grew. By the second half of the 19th century, it had become a serious health hazard and...
and major boulevards were built over top in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It is still visible in the outskirts of Brussels and outside the city, though within the city it now runs mostly underneath the small ring. The Zenne was notorious for being one of Belgium's worst polluted
Water pollution
Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies . Water pollution occurs when pollutants are discharged directly or indirectly into water bodies without adequate treatment to remove harmful compounds....
rivers, since all effluent
Effluent
Effluent is an outflowing of water or gas from a natural body of water, or from a human-made structure.Effluent is defined by the United States Environmental Protection Agency as “wastewater - treated or untreated - that flows out of a treatment plant, sewer, or industrial outfall. Generally refers...
s from the Brussels Capital Region were versed in it without treatment. In March 2007, the completion of new sewage treatment
Sewage treatment
Sewage treatment, or domestic wastewater treatment, is the process of removing contaminants from wastewater and household sewage, both runoff and domestic. It includes physical, chemical, and biological processes to remove physical, chemical and biological contaminants...
plants, began to remediate this problem. However, in December 2009 the plant Brussels Nord of Aquiris was temporarily and abruptly shut down, creating a political and ecological crisis.
The Golden Iris
Iris (plant)
Iris is a genus of 260-300species of flowering plants with showy flowers. It takes its name from the Greek word for a rainbow, referring to the wide variety of flower colors found among the many species...
became used as the emblem of the Brussels-Capital Region due to its habitat in the marshy plains around the river. The unique seasonal wild yeast
Yeast
Yeasts are eukaryotic micro-organisms classified in the kingdom Fungi, with 1,500 species currently described estimated to be only 1% of all fungal species. Most reproduce asexually by mitosis, and many do so by an asymmetric division process called budding...
s of the Zenne river valley are used in the production of the regional lambic
Lambic
Lambic is a very distinctive type of beer brewed only in the Pajottenland region of Belgium and in Brussels itself at the Cantillon Brewery and museum...
style of beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
.
Despite the covering up of the Zenne resulting in the river being all but invisible in the centre of Brussels, it has had a cultural impact on the city. A nickname for residents of the city, 'Zinneke', is taken from the stray dogs which hung around the Zenne in the middle ages, known as 'Zenneke' or 'Zinneke'. The name was revived at the start of the 21st century with the creation of the Zinneke Parade
Zinneke Parade
The Zinneke Parade is a biennial parade held in the city of Brussels, Belgium since 2000; a different theme is chosen for each parade. The 2010 theme was "A table / Aan tafel" and was held in May....
, a multicultural biennial event in the centre of Brussels.