Utrecht, Netherlands
City population: 315851
Duration: 1997 – unknown
Implementation status: Completed
Scale: Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Project area: 2000000 m2
Type of area: Residential
Last updated: June 2024

The surface water system in the VINEX location Leidsche Rijn near Utrecht is a special water system. Nowhere in the Netherlands is the surface water of such a large urban area treated in such a sustainable and climate-proof manner (ref. 2). In Leidsche Rijn, a relatively new city district of Utrecht, a sustainable closed circuit water system was introduced including natural wetlands, bioswales, pumping stations and permeable paving which filters stormwater organically. It is viewed as a more sustainable solution compared to traditional stormwater infrastructure because it benefits biodiversity (e.g. by means of fish passages) and prevents the need for storm water facilities and the influx of unfiltered surface water from elsewhere (ref. 1-3).

Leidsche Rijn
Leidsche Rijn
Source: Ref. 2

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Blue infrastructure
  • Lakes/ponds
  • In-land wetlands, peatlands, swamps, and moors
  • Green areas for water management
  • Swales and filter strips
  • Sustainable urban drainage systems

Key challenges

  • Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
  • Climate change adaptation
  • Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
  • Habitat and biodiversity restoration
  • Green space creation and/or management
  • Water management (SDG 6)
  • Flood protection
  • Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
  • Improvements to water quality
  • Health and well-being (SDG 3)
  • Creation of opportunities for recreation

Focus

Creation of semi-natural blue areas

Project objectives

The main goal is to sustainably provide clean surface water and managing water levels (ref. 1). Additional goals are to: -minimize the environmental strain by preventing influx from polluted water into the system and use of sustainable materials (ref. 5), -to promote biodiversity by means of providing water with high oxygen, providing habitat for flora and fauna and creating fish passages -to increase climate change resiliency through the management of water levels (ref. 1, 2) and recreation (taking into account canoeing and ice skating) (ref. 1) while maintaining aesthetic value (ref. 5).

Implementation activities

4 pumping stations that circulate required amount of water in order to ensure water quality [5] 11 main dams and 30 secondary dams [5] Bioswales in living areas that temporarily capture and filter storm water [1] 3 natural wetlands: Haarrijnse Plas (80ha), Plas Veldhuizen (25 ha) and Vleuterweide (20 ha) (ref. 1) Permeable pavings in street areas including Terwijde (ref. 1) Green banks that leads the water which contains vegetation that organically purifies the water (ref. 1) Fish passages in pumping stations and dams to promote movement of fish from area to area (ref. 1)

Climate-focused activities

Climate change adaptation:

  • Restore wetlands and/or coastal ecosystems to dissipate the effects of flooding and/or storms
  • Implement sustainable urban drainage infrastructure (e.g. to make space for water)

Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities

Biodiversity restoration:

  • Rehabilitate and restore damaged or destroyed ecosystems
  • Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)
  • Restore ecological connectivity

Main beneficiaries

  • Local government/Municipality
  • Citizens or community groups

Governance

Management set-up

  • Co-governance with government and non-government actors

Type of initiating organisation

  • Regional government
  • Local government/municipality

Participatory approaches/ community involvement

  • Taskforce groups
  • Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)
  • Co-management/Joint management
  • Citizen oversight (e.g. boards, advisory)
  • Other

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

The Leidsche Rijn sustainable water system is initiated by the Municipality of Utrecht, the Province of Utrecht and the Hoogheemraadschap De Stichtse Rijnlanden (regional water body). Those actors are also the main decision-makers regarding the water system (ref. 3). The operational responsibility is the Hoogheemraadschap De Stichtse Rijnlanden, a regional water management body in combination with a project group of the municipality of Utrecht [3] in collaboration with Wareco (an engineer company). [2, 5] Wareco supports the water body and the municipality in monitoring goals and achievements, controling the hydrolic functioning of the water system and monitoring the filtering system: day-to-day administration, carry out the research programme, maintain communication with European Commission and justifying EU subsidy, anticipate to climate change [2].

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? Unknown
... a national policy or strategy? Yes (Leidsche Rijn was created as part of 'Vierde Nota Ruimtelijke Ordening Extra (VINEX) 1991, which is a plan for strategic national development (ref. 7))
... a local policy or strategy? Yes ('Masterplan Leidsche Rijn' was developed by the Leidsche Rijn Task Force (Projectgroep Leidsche Rijn) which specifies that a sustainable water system should be created with an identity that matches the local characteristics (ref. 3,8))

Financing

Total cost

More than €4,000,000

Source(s) of funding

  • Public local authority budget
  • EU funds

Type of funding

  • Earmarked public budget
  • Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)

Non-financial contribution

Unknown

Impacts and Monitoring

Environmental impacts

  • Water management and blue areas
  • Improved water quality
  • Increased protection against flooding
  • Improved stormwater management
  • Green space and habitat
  • Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
  • Reduced biodiversity loss

Economic impacts

  • Unknown

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Health and wellbeing
  • Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
  • Other

Type of reported impacts

Achieved impacts

Presence of formal monitoring system

Yes

Presence of indicators used in reporting

Yes

Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports

No evidence in public records

Availability of a web-based monitoring tool

No evidence in public records

References

1. UW Water Schap. (n.d.) Watersysteem Leidsche Rijn [online]. Available at: Source link (Accessed 25 July 2020)
2. Wareco. (n.d.) Watersysteem Leidsche Rijn. Available at: Source link (Accessed 25 July 2020)
3. Rooijmans, P. (1997). Nieuwe stad, schoon water. Het watersysteem van Leidsche Rijn. [pdf] Utrecht: The Netherlands. Available at:
Source link (Accessed 25 July 2020)
4. Sportvisserij Nederland. (2008). Gemaal Vleuterweide in werking gesteld. Available at: Source link (Accessed 25 July 2020)
5. Burger, M . & Verhoeven, C. (n.d.). Platform. Available at: Source link (Accessed 25 July 2020)
6. European Commission. (2014). The LIFE 2014-2020 Regulation (EC) No 1293/2013. Available at: Source link (Accessed 25 July 2020)
7. Rijksoverheid. (1996). Vierde Nota Ruimtelijke Ordening Extra (VINEX). Available at: Source link (Accessed 25 July 2020)
8. Gemeente Utrecht (n.d.). Groenbeleid. Available at: Source link (Accessed 25 July 2020)
9. Davies, C., Hansen, R., Rall, E., Pauleit, S., Lafortezza, R., DeBellis, Y., Santos, A. and Tosics, I., 2015. Green Infrastructure Planning and Implementation (GREEN SURGE). The status of European green space planning and implementation based on an analysis of selected European city-regions, Source link. Available at: Source link (Accessed 25 July 2020)
10. Gemeente Utrecht (2007). Atlas voor de openbare ruimte Utrecht. Available at: Source link (Accessed 25 July 2020)
11. Province of Utrecht (n.d.) Agenda Vitaal Platteland. Available at: Source link (Accessed 25 July 2020)
Leidsche Rijn
Leidsche Rijn
Source: Ref. 2
Leidsche Rijn
Leidsche Rijn
Source: Ref. 2
Leidsche Rijn
Leidsche Rijn
Source: Ref. 2