HOUSES WITH WET FEET - GROUNDWATER NUISANCE AND ITS ABATEMENT IN THE NETHERLANDS

Nuisance due to high groundwater levels is common in many urban areas in the Netherlands. The combination of adverse soil conditions for drainage, the wet climate and insufficient drainage facilities lead to mildew on walls, a fuggy smell, inaccessible playgrounds, weak road foundations, and so on. Insufficient preparation of the building sites is the main cause of the problems. This - is a consequence of the responsibilities for the groundwater control are not clearly defined among the municipality, the inhabitants or others. Agreement on this distribution of responsibilities was recently achieved. Effective methods for designing and implementing a proper drainage system are available, although rather primitive. Data for solving the design problem with more sophisticated methods are, however, rarely available.