It takes the whole communiy to prepare Eindhoven for the increasingly massive downpours, heatwaves or droughts. Do you own a home or business premise that is at least five years old and do you want to contribute to a green, cool and water-safe city? Then you can receive a subsidy to help you. Why not replace garden pavement with natural green, instal a green roof or disconnect from the sewage system?
The green subsidies are made available by the Municipality of Eindhoven and Waterschap De Dommel (water authority De Dommel). Home owners as well as business owners qualify. Applying for a green subsidy is easy with these six simple steps:
- Determine which sustainable improvement you want to make;
- See if you qualify for the grant;
- If your project exceeds 5000 Euros, request for an advance;
- get started with the green project;
- Apply for the grant;
- You will hear from the municipality within eight weeks.
Tiles out, plants in
127,500 pavement tiles out per year, plants in. That is the target for the immediate future. Many of the public places in the city and many gardens are paved: not a drop of water will pass through. By removing pavement and replacing it with living green, less rainwater flows into the sewer. Water can penetrate the soil and replenish the groundwater, gardens will feel cooler and ensure more biodiversity. Indeed, insects, amphibians, birds and other small animals will also benefit from your efforts because you are giving them their habitat back. Home owners can receive €5 per greened square metre, with a maximum of €2,500 per subsidy application.
Installing a green roof
A sustainable green roof can offer a beautiful view. In addition, green roofs help to absorb rainwater. And the more rainwater is absorbed during heavy downpours, the smaller the chance that the sewage system will be overloaded. In addition, a green roof provides better insulation for homes. For example, the air conditioning can be turned off in summer and the heating can be turned down a degree in winter. Depending on the weight, a green roof can be installed on most flat or slightly sloping roofs. If you are unsure about this, you can contact a green roof specialist. You can receive €25 per square metre, with a maximum of €25,000 per subsidy application.
It is mandatory to meet the water storage standard. This is 30 litres per square metre for a green roof. Make sure you can demonstrate compliance with the water storage standard, for example via the green roof supplier. Does the number of square metres not meet the requirements? Ask your neighbours if you can apply together.
Disconnection from the sewage system
Adjusting the rainwater drainage so that water does not overburden the sewage system is also known as disconnection. An easy way to disconnect is to cut a rainpipe. But, that’s not all. The rainwater must be collected so that it can be used for something else or can slowly drain into the ground. This is the only way to actually relieve the sewage system. Collecting the disconnected rainwater can be done in various ways, for example by an infiltration device, a rainwater pond or a rain barrel. You can receive €10 per disconnected square metre, with a maximum of €10,000 per subsidy application.
An infiltration device is a facility in which you can retain rainwater before it slowly trickles into the ground. You can think of a lower surface in the garden, a ditch or infiltration crates. Make sure that the subsoil infiltrates well and always provide an overflow option that does not cause any water nuisance.
Make sure that your rainwater pond can collect sufficient water during a downpour before the pond overflows into a ditch or, in extreme cases, into the sewage system.
Please note that a rain barrel does not have sufficient capacity to collect all the rainwater. Placing only a rain barrel as a water storage facility is insufficient for a subsidy. Therefore always provide additional facilities and an overflow option, such as a lower surface in the garden, infiltration crates or gravel boxes.
Project requirements
The following conditions apply to all sustainable measures: The green project area concerns an existing terrain or roof. You own the area for which you are applying. You have not previously received a subsidy for the activities for which you are applying. Make sure you have photos of the work. You grant access to the work site. You maintain the result of the green project for at least 10 years. The meausures taken may not cause water nuisance to others.
For more information about the green subsidy application, check: eindhovenduurzaam.nl/klimaatadaptatie/groensubsidie-aanvragen
(it has a translation option)
Martijn van den Bouwhuijsen for EindhovenNews
