Hoogeveen will invest almost 25 million euros over the next six years to refurbish the sewer system. Part of the network can no longer keep up due to wear and tear. Almost half of the amount will go to the construction of a new pressure pipeline at the Riegmeer business park. To be able to pay for everything, the sewerage charge must be increased.
This can be read in the Sewage and Water Program 2023-2028. Residents are expected to pay an average of 154 euros in taxes next year. Now that is about 150 euros. The amount will then increase gradually, to 178 euros in 2028. The proposal still has to go to the city council for approval.
The municipality will use the money to replace parts of the sewer system. Pipes that are too old or have suffered damage are renewed, with renovation seeming to be preferred. For example, there are pipes that are provided with a durable liquid-tight coating from the inside.
Research by the municipality shows that sewer maintenance is most urgent in the center and the districts of Venesluis, Wolfsbos and Krakeel. Hoogeveen has 460 kilometers of sewerage. In general, such a network can last sixty to seventy years. The municipality started the construction of the system just after the Second World War. The sewer is therefore aged. Over the years, some things have been replaced, but twenty percent of the pipes are still older than sixty years.
The average age of the system is forty years old. Hoogeveen calls the renovation a major task for the coming years, because it requires a lot of manpower from the organization. On the other hand, the municipality thinks there is now an opportunity to do something about climate change. There are more and more extreme rain showers and Hoogeveen hopes to anticipate this with a renewed sewer.
How exactly this will work is still unclear. Rainwater is currently usually collected together with waste water and transported to the sewage treatment plant. The intention is to separate this more in the future. For example, there are plans to discharge the rainwater wherever it falls, insofar as the situation allows.
The pressure pipeline at the Riegmeer business park will cost around twelve million euros. Dairy manufacturer Fage wants to build a factory on the site. The waste water will soon have to find its way to the sewer, but the location is not yet equipped with the right infrastructure to achieve this. That is why there will be a new sewage system in the entire area. The eight-kilometre long pipeline will soon be connected to the sewage treatment plant in Echten.
Hoogeveen will bear the costs. The municipality thinks it can cover part of the amount with the sewage charges that Fage will have to pay. The total amount for the construction is actually even higher, but Fage, the province of Drenthe and Water Board Drents Overijsselse Delta contribute. Other companies on the site will soon also be able to use the network.