Six water tanks were installed on the campus of PTS Mechelen this summer, shares the Province of Antwerp. The installation of the tanks finishes a new construction project that focuses on sustainability. The six tanks, each with a diameter of three meters and a length of 15 meters, can collect 630 m³ of rainwater and together weigh 22.5 tonnes.
With all kinds of sustainable initiatives, PTS Mechelen demonstrates that they are not only investing in modern infrastructure and high-tech teaching tools, but that they are also actively contributing to ecological awareness and the future of their students.
Located in the heart of the vegetable area around Mechelen, PTS Mechelen is strongly committed to vegetable growing, both inside and outside the school grounds. Kathleen Massant, Technical Director, explains: "Our pupils grow vegetables that comply with GlobalGap certification. This provides them with a realistic and practical education that prepares them for a career in the agricultural sector. Our school supplies various vegetables to the BelOrta auction and sells some in the school shop. What is not sold is donated to Foodsavers, a local food bank. The emphasis is on circularity and minimizing waste. To give an example, coir mats from the greenhouses are reused for landscaping."
Efficient water management
PTS Mechelen's new rainwater storage facility consists of six steel tubes, each 15 meters long and three meters in diameter. The tubes are linked together. Tanks collect rainwater from all surrounding roofs (about 6,000 m² of roof area, including the two adjacent conservatories). Three existing rainwater cisterns with a total capacity of 329 m³ will be connected to the new 630 m³ buffer tank, so that all the cisterns together function as one large storage facility. In the future, more distant roofs may also be connected to the site.
The collected rainwater, with a capacity of 959 m³, will be used in greenhouses, and they will be deployed to water plants, flush toilets, and outdoor taps. This will enable the school to cover a dry period of two months without using city water. This intervention will supplement the current groundwater extraction on the site, and the school will no longer need to use tap water or groundwater.
Sustainable building
The new water tanks are part of the recently opened sustainable new building on campus, the 'Groentjesgebouw'. This new building, which was opened earlier this year, emphasizes PTS Mechelen's focus on environmental friendliness and sustainability. The total cost of the new building was EUR 5.6 million.
The tanks were brought to the campus by special transport.
Source: Province of Antwerp (in Dutch)