Adaptation to extreme rainfall; demonstration of FHVI to prevent damage by urban pluvial flooding (LIFE AERFIT)

LIFE AERFIT aims to demonstrate an innovative adaptation technology to prevent damage from urban pluvial flooding. The main objective is to prove that Fast High Volume Infiltration (FHVI) is an effective adaptation strategy.

FHVI directly injects rainwater into a permeable layer or aquifer, at a rate much higher than conventional injection. Thus, discharge capacity of urban rainwater can be vastly improved. FHVI is known from continuous recirculation in the construction sector, using pumps to bring previously pumped up water back into the ground as quickly as possible. A major innovation in the case of rainwater infiltration is the elimination of the pumps and driving infiltration with the pressure of the water column in the infiltration tube only.

The Municipality of Putten in The Netherlands has developed a comprehensive strategy to reduce disturbance and damage from pluvial flooding. Decoupling and infiltration of rainwater is at the heart of this strategy. The town has started decoupling and infiltration using state-of-the-art conventional technologies, and is interested in the Fast High Volume Infiltration (FHVI) technology and its capabilities for infiltration and damage prevention.

With its variable terrain, soil conditions and groundwater levels, a demonstration of FHVI would deliver results relevant to many areas in the EU.

Through the project’s actions and applications, the two main objectives are:

• To provide sound evidence of the effectiveness of FHVI to deal with extreme rainfall, as well as its wide applicability (i.e. replicability) and favourable implementation costs; and
• To disseminate the results and the applicability potential of the project to authorities and professionals throughout the EU.