As Dutch growers need to meet the new water purifications standards per 1-1-2018, a lot of purification technology is currently installed. Depending on the volume of discharge, future water strategy and investment space, mobile purification can be a compelling option. In this case, a mobile water purification installation can help smaller growers who can not afford buy an installation or who do not discharge enough to invest in such an installation.
The volume of discharge water varies with crop, water strategy and quality of irrigation water and is between 122 and 3,340 m3/ha/year at the examined companies. Approximately 65% of greenhouse companies discharge less than 600 m3/ha/year. Their discharge peak is during summer, when filters are rinsed more often and the quality of the irrigation water ensures most incidental discharges.
Mobile purification is mainly interesting for companies with low weekly water discharge and with a small area (and low investment space). If the volume of discharge is halved by all companies, mobile purification will become more interesting for many more companies.
Mobile units must have an approval for 95% purification from the Assessment Committee Greenhouse Water Purification and must register the treated volume for enforcement purposes.
Download the complete WUR study here.