Reference case municipality of Knokke

Due to its specific location, Knokke-Heist often requires specialist advice on optimal water management within the municipality. Its location in polder lands explains the strong interdependence between the urban drainage system and the watercourses system as well as the crucial importance of a thorough level management in the polder to reconcile the different functions. In view of the municipality's importance to tourism, the integration of water in touristic and recreational sites is another key consideration. For these reasons, the municipal administration decided to appoint HydroScan as adviser for all water-related aspects.

Integrated water management Knokke-Heist

In the context of the optimisation of its water management, a number of projects were carried out.

Thus, an analysis was made of the flood risks within the municipal boundaries based on a statistical analysis of the water levels on the various polder watercourses, and flood maps were created based on a GIS analysis. Based on this analysis, the layout of the second golf court could also be optimised in terms of water drainage and storage.
This approach was subsequently refined by developing an integrated model of the water system in Infoworks CS and RS and later ICM, whereby the hydraulic behaviour of both the sewerage system and the polder watercourses was simulated. This integrated model proved to be a useful tool for the further optimisation of water management within the municipal boundaries. For example, the flood risks in the urban centres were examined in detail and an optimisation of the drainage of the polder area was elaborated. The latter led to an alternative proposal for the water issues surrounding the expansion of the Zwin.
This proposal not only provides an answer to the salinisation issue, but also significantly reduces the flood risks within the urban area. Moreover, the proposal allows for the use of more optimal target levels in the polder watercourses in terms of agriculture and the environment.
Furthermore, a number of water assessments were carried out for building projects in Knokke-Heist, all of which included an impact assessment of the project on water management and, where appropriate, the elaboration of measures to mitigate that impact.

The appointment of an adviser for integrated water management enables the municipality to plan water management related measures and projects within the municipality in a well-though-out and cost-effective manner. The availability of an integrated water model also allows these actions to be better quantified. It further allows the municipality to objectively justify its vision on water management in consultations with higher-level authorities, for example.

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