5.1 Reduce
The reduction of (drinking) water consumption is the first step towards a sustainable water system. By creating awareness the water use per person must drop with 25% within the next 5 years. By adding technological changes on a building level, the total amount of drinking water consumption must be halved in 2050.
5.1.1 Awareness
Though it might seem a small step, creating awareness, and thus changing habits, will be a time-consuming task. Especially since a big part of Texel its inhabitants are always tourists which makes them a lot harder to reach. However, since there are no big investments involved to this step it is possible to start as soon as possible. In order to reach tourists as well the savings on water use must be visible on the island, this will take some investments but must be achievable within 5 years.
5.1.2 Building level technologies
In order to help the Tesselaars to reduce their water use technical interventions need to be applied. As is stated in chapter three, there are techniques on all kinds of scales, from tap heads and rain water tanks to complete building systems. In five years a package should be available for all households willing to participate to an independent, sustainable Texel, this will not only contain tips but also some of the small household technologies like water saving shower heads in order to enhance a reduction of water use.
With this new awareness a market has evolved around further water reduction, creating more and more demand for the start-up companies that evolved at Texel which provide sustainable solutions on a building level. In the next 35 years such companies will be involved in all projects on the island so almost every building has a more sustainable water system in the end.
5.2 Reuse
On the larger scale, the improvements demand a larger timescale. We propose to collect more (rain)water in new buffers and to create a new water cleaning facility which enables the islanders to close the water cycle. The location and planning for these systems need time and should be made by or in cooperation with Tesselaars. This will not only help to create support amongst them, it will also enhance the awareness the project needs to succeed. The planning of the system will probably take some time, but the aim is to start building within 5 years.
5.3 Recycle
There are no closed water cycles yet because the law does not allow drinking water to be created from waste water. The planning and building of the new treatment plant will thus take some more time. Since there have recently been problems with the water system during droughts and heavy rainfall, the buffers should be built as soon as possible.
Preferably local (start-up) companies will be used to execute the improved plans. If they create expertise on the sustainable market this can become an important export product for Texel. This will also create awareness among the tourists and might even attract a new kind of visitors to the island, interested in their sustainable solutions.
So by creating awareness within the next 5 years, developing household systems, planning a new water treatment plant and creating new buffers. Texel its water cycle will be fully improved within 35 years, maybe even faster!