Flanders efforts to adjust regulatory framework and policy to enable innovative urban water management

Ingeborg Barrez - VMM and CIW

CONTENTS• Findings

• Policy

• Legislation

• Urban development act

• Code of good practices

• Water assessment

• Tools

• Real estate

• Rainwater Blueprint

• Publications

CONTENTS• FINDINGS

• Policy

• Legislation

• Urban development act

• Code of good practices

• Water assessment

• Tools

• Real estate

• Rainwater Blueprint

• Publications

Finding: 1. Overflow of waste water

Finding: 2. Dilution of wastewater

Finding: 3. Peakload in sewersytem and

watercourse

Finding: 4. Forecast climate change

• Current problems will increase

• Climate change

• Returnperiod halves against 2050

Finding: 5. Space development

Increase development increase floodrisk

FINDINGS: CONCLUSION

Lack of measures has a negative impact on

• Waterquality

• Overflowfrequency

• Lack of inflitration

CONTENTS• Findings

• POLICY

• Legislation

• Urban development act

• Code of good practices

• Water assessment

• Tools

• Real estate

• Rainwater Blueprint

• Publications

Policy

• European Legislation• European Water Framework Directive

• good general status of the surface water and ground water

• Floods Directive• reduce and manage the risks of floods

Policy

Flemish government 2009-2014

• Adjust the urban development act and code of good

practices

• Reduce and manage the risks of floods

• Measures on the source

POLICY• Policy document 2014-2019 – Minister Schauvliege

• Avoid additional pavement

• Avoid sealing of the soil

• Water Policy document (WFD)

• Apply the strategy ‘retain – store – drain away’ on the field

• (re) use, infiltration and storage of rainwater are our guarantee of

source directed measure

• Ensure room for water

CONTENTS• Findings

• Policy

• LEGISLATION

• Urban development act

• Code of good practices

• Water assessment

• Tools

• Real estate

• Rainwater Blueprint

• Publications

Legislation: Urban development act

• Coverd constructions and paving with permission or duty

to report

• Exemptions

• Infiltration on private domain (no drains)

• Polluted surfaceswaste water

• Public domain

Legislation: Urban development act

• (Re)Use

• Family homes (single) (up 40m²): min. 5.000 l

• Other constructions (up 100 m²): 50 l/m² - max.

10.000 l

Legislation: Urban development act

• Infiltration

• Always obliged!

• 25 l/m² run-off surface.

• 4 m² per 100 m² run-off surface.

• Exemptions

• Protection area I en II (groundwater)

• Property < 250 m²

• Infiltration impossible (motivation!)

Legislation: Urban development act

• Storage

• Area < 2.500 m²

• Min. 25 l/m² run-off surface

• Area > 2.500 m²

• Min. 25 l/m² run-off surface

• Drainage flow rate max. 20 l/s/ha

Legislation: Urban development act• Allotment

• The same principles as for surfacing infiltration!!

• Take into account a extra area of 80 m² per lot

• Regulations on individual parcels remain in force

LEGISLATION: CODE OF GOOD PRACTICES

Legislation: code of good practices

Step 3 : Store

Step 2 : Infiltration

Area without risk of flooding Area with risk of flooding

Step 1: Avoid run-off

Natural situation Reuse dikes

LEGISLATION: WATER ASSESSMENT • An instrument to assess possible hazardous effects of

permits, plans or programs on the water system

• Obligation to ask advice in advance in certain cases

• Results in a water paragraph in the decision (permits, plans

or programs)

• How? A step-by-step approach

2. Conditions to prevent or minimise

3. Conditions to remediate or compensate

1. Hazardous effect: yes/no?

4. Refuse

LEGISLATION: WATER ASSESSMENT - Tools?

• Guidelines

• Internet tool

www.watertoets.be

• Training for users

CONTENTS• Findings

• Policy

• Legislation

• Urban development act

• Code of good practices

• Water assessment

• TOOLS

• Real estate

• Rainwater Blueprint

• Publications

TOOLS: Real estateObligation to provide information on flood prone areas in

publicity and in private and notarial acts

TOOLS: rainwater blueprint

RAINWATER BLUEPRINTBASIC

• Map

• Big areas

• Defining

• Zones of infiltration

• Rainwater drains

• Bottle necks

• Rough copy

DETAIL

• Street/property level

• Modelling

PLAN OF REALIZATION

• Who

• What

• When

TOOLS: Publications

www.vmm.be

www.integraalwaterbeleid.be