In the middle of the campus at Lund University (LTH) is Lake Sjön and directly adjacent to it is a stormwater pond that has been named Pölen. Akademiska Hus and VA SYD are now starting a joint work to test an innovative solution where the water level in Pölen can be controlled with the help of weather forecasts. Together, the parties hope to contribute to a new solution as part of a necessary climate adaptation.
"The collaboration with VA SYD is part of Akademiska Hus' national work to ensure that our buildings and campuses can cope with the changing climate of the future. The project also contributes to a more beautiful environment around Sjön and Pölen with living rippling water and a pleasant natural place for everyone who stays on campus," says Pontus Isaksson, Property Area Manager at Akademiska Hus.
Delay of heavy rains
Forecast control is now being tested for the first time to create extra delay in heavy rainfall. The solution is about using rain forecasts to control the level of the stormwater system, which includes both Pölen and Sjön.
When the forecasts show that a larger rain is on the way, water is drained to create extra delay volume in Pölen. This is done through a level control well, a so-called monk well with a controllable door. In this way, both Pölen and, in the next step, the lake are used to take care of rainwater that otherwise easily floods the pipe network. The new connection between Pölen and Sjön contributes to the natural circulation of the water and that the oxygenation of the water increases, with reduced algae growth as a result.
- With a changing climate and a densified city, property owners, municipalities and water and wastewater organizations need to work together to make room for water in the city. By using weather forecasts to control the water level, we want to test a new technology in the collaboration against flooding," says Hanna Nordlander, investigation engineer at VA SYD.
The work on forecast management is planned to start in the summer of 2024 and the hope is to be completed in the autumn. The project is part of REWAISE, an innovation project with a focus on using water smarter and using the right water quality for the right purpose.
This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizont 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 869496.