On the 23rd of October, B-WaterSmart organized an event for the local citizens at the Living Lab in Flanders (Mechelen in Belgium) to introduce the plans for the surrounding district. In 2023, a brand new water retention pond will be built by the Research Station for Vegetable Production, the city of Mechelen, Aquafin, and VITO.

The water retention pond is a smart solution to utilize surplus water on agricultural plots. It will connect farmers, citizens, and government and prevent flooding while providing immediate solutions to the droughts that will become more frequent due to climate change. The B-WaterSmart project now installed the first successful retention pond on a field that grew pumpkins, vegetables that were given to the visitors of the event.

Last summer’s drought is only one example of why water needs to be used as efficiently and smartly as possible. The resource water is becoming more and more precious. That is why the B-WaterSmart project together with the city of Mechelen, Aquafin, VITO, and the Experiment Station for Vegetable Production is investigating how the rainwater system can optimally serve agriculture and horticulture simultaneously. “A water retention pond will be cleverly controlled according to forecasts. The water will be treated so that it is ready for infiltration or irrigation of nearby plots. This steering ensures, on the one hand, that we can prevent flooding and, on the other, that the water is used optimally,” says Joris De Nies of the Vegetable Farming Research Station. In addition, Koen Anciaux, city council and responsible for agriculture in the city of Mechelen, explains: “Smart farming solutions are valuable for large-scale and short-term farmers near the urban environment. With B-WaterSmart, Mechelen ensures that rainwater remains available for agriculture. This concept fits perfectly within the vision of the rainwater plan and thus directly supports the local food strategy.”