Our relationship to nature – and how we try to shape and control it – is an important theme for Marie-José Jongerius (NL, 1970). Her interest in water lies in the fact that, while it is vital to our existence, we take its presence and availability for granted. The time Jongerius has spent in Los Angeles since 2000, and her travels through the surrounding deserts only served to strengthen the sense of urgency around the issue. In the American Southwest, a lack of water is a daily reality.
In the Netherlands, the challenge is almost the reverse: how do we manage the quantity and quality of all our water? Water is a ‘natural’ resource but we want to ‘control’ it. We do so through a dynamic system of adjustments and alterations, and a network of institutions and agencies such as water boards. But what if water broke free from our control? It’s a danger we rarely consider. Jongerius photographed the ‘machines’ that manage our water at night, when we are at our most vulnerable.
Wastewater Treatment Plant Amsterdam West
The Wastewater Treatment Plant Amsterdam West is located in the Western Docklands area of the city, opposite the Waste Energy Facility. The plant has a capacity to treat the wastewater of a million people. Seven organic streets process around 200,000m³ of wastewater daily; up to 30,000m³ per hour at peak times.
Wastewater Treatment Plant Amsterdam West
The Wastewater Treatment Plant Amsterdam West is located in the Western Docklands area of the city, opposite the Waste Energy Facility. The plant has a capacity to treat the wastewater of a million people. Seven organic streets process around 200,000m³ of wastewater daily; up to 30,000m³ per hour at peak times.
Deltares Noordoostpolder
The dimensions of the Delta Flume at the Deltares Research Institute make it unique. The flume is 240 metres long, 5 metres wide, and 7 metres deep. A deepened section of 9.5 metres is also available for testing purposes. The state-of-the-art facility can generate both regular and irregular waves, allowing for physical models on a scale that approximates reality.
Hagestein Weir
The Hagestein Weir complex lies in the River Lek near the village of Hagestein, and comprises a weir – with a capacity of 600m³ per second – and a lock. The complex was completed in 1958 and is identical to those in Driel and Amerongen. Weirs like these are essential for regulating the flow of the Rhine through the Netherlands.
IJmuiden Pumping Station
The IJmuiden lock complex was inaugurated in the 1940s. At low tide in the North Sea, the complex has a discharge capacity of 700m³ per second. To also ensure water discharge at high tide, a pumping station was built in 1975. The pumping station continues to play an important role in the drainage of a significant portion of the provinces of North Holland, South Holland and Utrecht. Together, the lock complex and pumping station discharge around 2.5 billion cubic metres of water per year.
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