Bekkevoort (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Bekkevoort’s €8 million water treatment plant, led by Aquafin and Mayor Hans Vandenberg, will serve 3,750 residents, treat 3,000 m³ daily, and boost wastewater treatment from 37% to 70% by 2027.
As VRT News reported, after more than 15 years, Bekkevoort, in the province of Flemish Brabant, Belgium, has started the new water treatment plant. Aquafin launched the construction along the Provinciebaan with an official groundbreaking ceremony. The project had been delayed many times due to administrative procedures and shifting priorities.
The plant will not only serve Bekkevoort but will also process wastewater from Kortenaken and Glabbeek. Local authorities say the cooperation between the 3 municipalities is an important step toward cleaner water and better environmental protection.
“We had to search for the right location for a long time. Then we had to wait for a spatial implementation plan, and we also had to amend the permit several times,”
explains Thierry Adriaensens of Aquafin.
What Will Bekkevoort’s €8M Plant Do for 3,750 Residents?
The installation will clean household wastewater before it flows into the Pinbeek stream. The plant has a treatment capacity equal to 3,750 residents. That represents about 3,000 cubic meters of wastewater per day in normal conditions. The system can also handle extra volumes during heavy rainfall when stormwater mixes with household water.
Bekkevoort is preparing a major upgrade of its wastewater system. Currently, only 37% of the wastewater in the municipality is treated. Work has already been carried out in Netelzeepstraat and Meenselstraat, where separate sewers were installed.
These sewers will direct household wastewater to the treatment plant instead of local streams. Similar works along Staatsbaan are almost finished. Once the connection is made, the treatment rate will rise to 51%.
“We anticipate a significant number of sewer and roadworks,”
says Vandenberg.
“By the end of the legislative term, we aim to reach 70%, a doubling.”
The next phase will focus on the construction of a new treatment plant. This will be one of the largest public works projects in Bekkevoort in recent years. The plant will take around 2 years to complete and will cost €8 million.
Authorities say the investment will bring cleaner water and reduce pollution in rivers and streams. According to Mayor Hans Vandenberg (cd&v PLUS), the plan is part of a long-term effort to connect more households to wastewater treatment in the coming years.
The water treatment plant in Bekkevoort follows a process that started more than 15 years ago. The plan was first added to regional water management programs by the Flemish government and Aquafin in 2006, but it faced repeated delays. The search for a suitable site, changes to permits, and shifting priorities kept pushing the project back.
The Pinbeek stream, which will receive the purified water, has struggled for years with ecological pressure because untreated wastewater from the municipality often flows straight into local streams. Flanders introduced tougher European rules on water quality in the early 2000s.
