In Eindhoven, residents of the Achtse Barrier are literally awakened by a mysterious sound. “It seems like there is a low, booming sound in the distance. It fades away a bit and then it comes back. As if something is always being started over again,” says Louise (55) van de Toulousehof. The municipality takes it seriously and has installed measuring equipment in her house to investigate what is going on. The measurement takes a week.
Louise tries to describe the sound she hears: “As if they were using an electric lawn mower in the distance. It’s a heavy thumping sound, like a diesel engine. Or a truck that is idling. I have the feeling that it is there constantly, but that I hear it louder or softer because of the wind.”
She wrote an article in the local newspaper about the nuisance she experiences. Twelve residents from her neighborhood responded. “I didn’t expect so many reactions. They found it recognizable. Several people are awake at night about it. It goes through everything.” So many reactions also confirmed to Louise that it was not her fault. “It’s really not in my head. And it’s not ringing in the ears or tinnitus either. That’s out of the question.”
Louise started looking into what it could be. “I turned off all the power in the house. To make sure it wasn’t in the house. But I still heard it. If only it were the refrigerator.” She looked outside the home. “There are also air conditioners on the houses here. That’s too light. It’s something heavy.”
“I just need to sleep.”
All residents who are affected by it live near the park. “There are two transformer houses there. I listened to the sound of transformer houses on YouTube. It seemed that way.”
“It could also be from a company’s cooling installation,” she continues. “A very large cooling installation has been installed on the Jumbo nearby. I also looked at the sewerage system of the municipality of Eindhoven. I looked up where the pumping stations are located. There are also a number of these. That could also be it.”
Despite the clear description, the reporter is unable to hear the sound. But it is almost impossible for Louise to continue. It bothers her everywhere in her house. She has already moved to another bedroom in the hope that it would go away there, but it was just as bad there too. It makes her desperate. “Your safe haven is being attacked. It casts a shadow over your living comfort. I just want to sleep.” And so she continues to search for what the sound is that keeps her awake.
“I’ll go crazy otherwise.”
As a temporary solution, she plays a ‘counter-sound’ at night that she concentrates on. Only a very loud noise she plays on her phone helps suppress that hum. Anyone else would be concerned about that. “At least this way I can get some sleep. Otherwise I’ll go crazy.”
The measuring equipment will be collected by the municipality next Wednesday. Local residents hope to get more clarity soon.
