The chairman of Park Startbaan already mentioned this in his speech at the well-attended New Year’s drinks. The year 2024 was the wettest year ever measured in the Netherlands and our clay courts also suffered greatly from this.
But what was also striking last year was that the courts remained wet for a long time. Reason for the Park Startbaan board to take action
The drainage from the lanes runs through pipes into the ditch, but if so much rain has fallen that the ditch is too high and the drainage pipes are flooded, the water cannot drain. Due to climate change, showers are also heavier and that will certainly not change.
This was reason to ask the Municipality when the pond next to the Herman Wesselink College, which was filled in during the new construction, would be restored to its former glory. The Municipality confirmed that this would happen soon and the excavation work has already started
In addition, we have started an improved water drainage with our maintenance company De Peinder. The drainage pipes are connected directly outside the fence to wells that end in a collection well, from which the water will be pumped into the ditch.
This system makes the water drainage from the clay courts independent of the water level in the ditch. During the work it turned out that several drainage pipes in the area between the fence and the ditch were blocked!
We expect a lot from this new system. Finally, court block 7-8, the gravel of which is very contaminated, will be provided with a completely new gravel layer. More about this later…
