Decentralized sewage treatment plant Oosterwold

Project’s context & challenges

The Oosterwold district in Almere is a unique residential area where sustainability, self-sufficiency and innovation are central design principles. To support this vision, a decentralised sewage treatment plant was developed to serve approximately 800 households. The challenge was to create a compact, future-proof system that not only treats wastewater safely, but also recovers valuable resources and removes micro-pollutants such as pharmaceutical residues.

In a consortium with Royal Oosterhof Holman (main contractor), Akanova and Van Remmen UV Technology, CirTec played a key role in delivering an innovative solution. The system had to perform reliably under fluctuating influent conditions while meeting strict environmental and water quality requirements. The municipality of Almere deliberately chose an unconventional approach, pushing technological boundaries to realise a sustainable, circular water treatment concept.

Customer benefits

Decentralised sewage treatment for 800 households

Recovery of valuable resources such as cellulose

Effective removal of pharmaceutical residues and micro-pollutants

Safe, disinfected effluent returned to the natural environment

Robust performance under variable load conditions

Scalable concept suitable for future expansion and replication

Solution

CirTec supplied its CellCap technology as the first treatment step of the installation. This technology extracts a residual stream and a high-quality cellulose stream directly from the incoming sewage. The recovered cellulose can be reused as a valuable raw material, contributing to a circular economy.

The treatment line is complemented by advanced filtration and UV disinfection technologies, ensuring the removal of medicine residues and the production of clean, safe effluent. Since commissioning, the installation has been operating at full capacity, demonstrating stable performance and excellent cellulose recovery even under changing conditions.

The official opening in September 2024 marked a major milestone for the region, highlighting how collaboration, innovation and perseverance can lead to sustainable infrastructure solutions that set an example for future water treatment systems.