When looking at the infrastructure a street is the most complex and extensive part of a city. Energy, waste and drinking water is supplied and collected to and from every house in a street. In the Street of the Future waste is collected and treated so that it can be re-used on the same or higher level.
The sewage system plays a big role in the transport of waste using a lot of water. Preliminary calculations and lab experiments conducted by Wageningen University and Research c.s. have shown that pipes with smaller diameters function as properly as traditional pipes with a larger diameter, while using a substantial smaller amount of (drinking) water.
In the first phase the new sewage pipes will be connected to the houses in the Living Lab. The flow through smaller pipes is being tested by the students living at The Green Village, while sensors monitor the system. In the second phase water-saving technologies will be implemented. This will result in reducing water usage and more condensed waste water, than becoming a slurry from which phosphates, minerals and other raw materials could be collected. Re-desiging the sewer is therefore essential.
