TAUW has years of experience as a consultant in sustainable soil and land management. As a 'cutting edge consultant' with extensive expertise in soil and subsoil issues, we can connect to societal challenges such as climate change, biodiversity, dealing with (diffuse) contamination and creating a future-proof living environment. We also make an active contribution in shaping policy and offer practical solutions on an (inter)national level.

Soil investigation

For over thirty years, we have been a top player in Europe in the fields of soil pollution and groundwater contamination. Governments, industry, private companies and others see us as a reliable partner that is always looking for sustainable and innovate solutions. Our aim is to unburden our customers by reducing and solving soil liabilities.

The nature, cause and size of soil surveys and projects vary considerably. As do the issues that need solving. We apply our extensive experience in all kinds of soil issues, from policy to research to remediation, providing answers to questions such as: when is soil investigation necessary? How extensive is the soil contamination on our development site and what are the associated risks? Who is responsible for the pollution on our site? How do we quickly reduce contamination risks?

Soil pollution risks

Soil and groundwater contamination and remediation is a matter of managing risks, be it the human risks or environmental risks. Are you responsible for soil or groundwater contamination on your company premises? Then it is key to quickly establish the extent of your liability and preferably reduce it. Responsibility for soil pollution is increasingly a legal issue. Therefore, information on the origin or age of the contamination is crucial. Tauw offers extensive experience in site-specific risk assessment and remediation technologies on-site, in-situ and off-site. We offer guidance in all processes concerned and provide advice on a tailored combination of management and remediation technologies.

Sustainable remediation

Soil is one of our foundations. When soil is contaminated, it is very likely that it will be necessary to take measures to reduce or solve liabilities. Governments, industry, private companies and others see us as a reliable partner, always looking for sustainable and innovate solutions. We help give our clients peace of mind by developing a remediation strategy for each location and designing sustainable solutions using natural processes and materials as much as possible.

We consider the broad range of these factors to develop sustainable solutions such as sustainable land solutions, constructed natural barriers for groundwater contamination, soil remediation - using sustainable technologies that make use of solar energy and aquifer thermal energy - sustainable groundwater treatment and waste water treatment with helophyte filters.
 

Nature-based solutions

When it comes to soil and groundwater solutions, innovation is our middle name. We apply the latest techniques and methods, such as thermal remediation. A very topical example is bringing healthy soils back into urban areas to prevent heat stress or for water storage in the event of flooding. Another example? We are working on the conditioning of soil to increase its purifying effect and bearing capacity and to reduce its permeability in the case of soil protection.

In addition, we continually update our knowledge on so-called emerging contaminants to provide solid advice on these chemicals that could pose potential risks.

A social task

The clean-up of soil and groundwater contamination is above all a social task. Contamination can be a danger to the health of residents or affect flora and fauna. In addition, they often traverse development plans of governments and companies, and they have a negative impact on the value of sites. The remediation of soil and groundwater pollution is not just a cost. Social benefits consist of a cleaner environment, a more pleasant living environment and the creation of (development) space.

The soil and groundwater work field does not stop at soil research and soil remediation. That’s why we also offer solutions on topics such as:

  • environmental hygiene
  • asbestos, mercury, PFAS, etc.
  • thermal soil remediation
  • soil protection
  • site development
  • soil policy
  • land management and land stewardship
  • Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and pesticides
  • Geo-information (GIS) and Soil Information Systems (SIS)

 

Your future-proof guide on soil

Our soil and groundwater services do not stand alone. Soil and groundwater projects often require a wider approach, that may include site (re)development, monitoring, water management, infrastructure and transaction services. TAUW can offer you tailored solutions and services, which cover all these topics.

NICOLE

TAUW is an active partner in NICOLE (Network for Industrially Co-ordinated Land Management in Europe) and contributes to international (ISO/CEN) and national standardisation bodies. We are also a member of the International Sustainable Remediation Association

Globally, we are involved in formulating policy and taking care of the needs of multinationals in solving and reducing their soil liabilities.

 

 

 

Mercury in soil and groundwater

Due to its toxicity, mercury is increasingly being phased out. Before the adverse effects of mercury were known, it was used in numerous products, in a variety of industrial processes and in crop protection products. This led to emissions into the environment, and consequently to humans and the ecosystem being exposed to mercury contamination.

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Hazardous Waste Inventories and Management

Inadequate hazardous waste storage or disposal operations can pose a serious threat to the environment and human health. At abandoned warehouses, factories, or hazardous waste storage sites, reactive and toxic chemical wastes are often stored in unsound and unsafe conditions. This can lead to serious accidents (e.g. fires and explosions). TAUW is experienced in the completion of inventories of (abandoned) hazardous and chemical waste, investigation of disposal sites, and supervision of site clean-up.

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In Situ book

Soil contamination is still a black box to many. It's something very deep below us and we can't see it. With this book, we want to give you an insight into what we've learned during the past thirty years.

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3D CSM

A 3D Conceptual Site Model (CSM) is a schematic representation of the underground situation. It is a type of Building Information Modelling system (BIM) for the subsurface domain: system-oriented information management and visualisation of underground objects such as boreholes, monitoring wells, soil structure, contaminant plumes, foundations, remediation measures, cables and pipes. Relevant surface objects such as buildings, roads, lampposts and trees are added to the model to provide context.

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Soil & Groundwater projects

Do you have a question about Soil and Groundwater?

Please get in contact with one of our consultants