Delta Life 7

4 DELTARES, MARCH 2017 DELTARES IN BRIEF Deltares has developed a user-friendly screening tool to assess water quality better. The tool – PNEC-pro – was developed in collaboration with Leiden University and the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM). Water managers and researchers working with surface waters can download it free of charge and use it to calculate to what extent a particular type of water can cope with pollution. It is an alternative to the generic standards for heavy metals in the European Water Frame­ work Directive. The newmethod is based on the type of surface water and its composition. In that way, it provides a better assessment of actual toxicity. The system is so robust that it has been included in the Dutch statutory protocol for the appraisal and assessment of surface waters. The tool is also used by various EU member states for second-line assessments in the context of the Water Framework Directive. USER-FRIENDLY TOOL ASSESSES WATER QUALITY POLDER IN SINGAPORE Singapore is planning a polder that will add 810 hectares to Pulau Tekong, one of its largest islands. The traditional approach to land reclamation involves depositing sand to above the sea level. The new approach is based on the model that has been used in the Netherlands for 400 years. A ring dike is built first and then the water is pumped out. In this approach, the level of the reclaimed area can be lower and so much less sand is needed. Experts working for Deltares in the Netherlands and Singapore have studied the feasibility of the Pulau Tekong polder concept for the Housing & Development Board in Singapore. They completed an environmental study and a thorough evaluation of the detailed design and contract documents. SHIPS AS HIGH-TECH DATA COLLECTORS Inland shipping vessels are going to collect data as they sail. In that way, they can operate more efficiently and make maximum use of the space on waterways. The project is known as CoVadem ( Coöperatieve Vaardiepte- en performancemeting: cooperative sailing depth and performance measurement) and it is an initiative from MARIN, Deltares, Autena Marine, Bureau Telematica Binnenvaart and the inland shipping sector. The project includes establishing levels of fuel consumption and forecasts of water depths and headroom several days ahead so, skippers can make a better assessment of the amount of cargo they can take on, and that makes their operations more efficient and reduces carbon emissions. But it is not only the inland shipping sector that benefits: the ships also continuously collect data about the riverbed and water depths. River managers and dredgers can use these data - in combination with river models - to maintain and manage waterways.