Genk (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Genk is transforming the pond at Thor Park into a swimming area, but costs for cleaning sludge have tripled. Kathleen Parthoens is working on affordable solutions for the project.
As VRT News reported, 3 weeks ago, the city of Genk began a major project to change the pond at Thor Park in Waterschei into a swimming area. According to officials, this project is part of a bigger plan to improve the area and offer new activities for people who live there and those who visit. The government in Flanders recently made it easier to swim in open water.
They mentioned that Genk had already started to drain the pond. The next step is to remove the sludge at the bottom of the pond. This sludge is dirty with too much organic material and mineral oil. It needs to be taken out to make sure the water is safe for swimming and to protect the environment from damage.
Why has Genk’s Thor Park pond project cost 3x more than expected?
The city of Genk is working hard to change the pond at Thor Park into a swimming area. The city wants to make a clean, natural swimming spot for everyone. When the sludge has disappeared, and the water has been cleaned, swimming will be permissible in the pond. It will be a crowd-pleasing destination where people can come out and engage in outdoor recreation. With the new regulations and wise planning, this pond is what the city has in hopes for it to become a wonderful attraction for all people.
The city of Genk is working on turning the pond at Thor Park into a swimming area, but it’s become more expensive than they thought. The cost to clean out the sludge is now 3 times higher than the first price. This makes it hard for the city to pay for the whole project.
The city is now looking for cheaper ways to clean the pond. They want to make sure the water is safe and clean for swimming without spending too much money. They are checking different ways to remove the sludge and clean the water to find something that costs less.
Even though the cost went up, the city still wants to make the pond a swimming area. The government in Flanders made it easier to swim in open water, and Genk wants to use this chance to make the park better. The city is trying to find ways to keep the project affordable, maybe by finding new ideas or getting more money.
Kathleen Parthoens said the city is working on the money problems, but they still want the pond to be a safe and fun place to swim. Genk hopes to make the swimming area a reality by changing the plan a bit.
