Route from PE pipe – Sustainable irrigation project Ardo

Belgium is increasingly suffering from exceptionally long periods of drought. This is a development we are witnessing more frequently due to climate change. Last summer, it became evident that in Flanders, due to persistent drought, the groundwater level was lower than in Spain and Italy. One consequence of this is that gardeners and farmers cannot sufficiently water their crops, leading to failed harvests.

Ardo, a producer of frozen vegetables in Ardooie, is helping farmers water their land through an ingenious and sustainable water irrigation project. Ardo provides purified wastewater from their factory to surrounding farmers. Through a plastic pipe network, farmers can then water their crops. For the plastic pipe network and accessories, which play an important role in this project, Ardo collaborates with THV Casteleyn-Vereecke and Profilplast.

The project received a subsidy from the European Interreg V project as it qualified as a valuable and cross-border initiative. Water is a circular resource for agriculture. Normally, companies discharge purified process water into surface water, but this is not the case here. With this project, this water is made available to farmers and gardeners. It is a sustainable approach in terms of time investment, energy, transport, and water reuse. The water irrigation project in Ardooie covers 500 hectares of agricultural land.

The Project

The water irrigation project in Ardooie consists of 32,000 meters of PE 100 pipe network, buffer basins, pump houses, 120 PE 100 hydrant pits, and 11 PE 100 valve pits. The buffer basins can hold 150,000 m³ of water. Through a pump house, the purified wastewater is pumped from the buffer basins via the PE 100 pipe network to the fields of the farmers. Each farmer has a PE 100 hydrant pit. The farmer can connect the reel of their irrigation system to this hydrant pit to water their crops.

PE 100 Pipe Network

A PE 100 pipe network was chosen because this material is highly suitable for horizontal drilling (which was necessary under existing roads) and has a long lifespan, lasting for generations. Over the years, Profilplast has established a proven track record in water transport using PE 100 pipe networks and accessories. This project was also a custom solution, with significant gains achieved in the area of the pits.

PE 100 Hydrant & Valve Pits

Initially, the intention was to provide the hydrant and valve pits in concrete. However, Profilplast recommended PE 100. PE 100 is a sustainable material that easily lasts two generations. The PE 100 supplied by Profilplast is of reliable origin and thus of high quality. For the pits, PE 100 was chosen due to its greater impact resistance, watertight passage, and sturdiness. Additionally, PE 100 is better suited for future expansions of the network, highly accessible for maintenance, and easy to install.

Sustainable Future

This irrigation project once again proves that plastics have a future. Reusing water and combating drought with sustainable plastic piping systems.