Landen-Hannuit, Plopsaqua | New water park in Landen-Hannuit

Cities and Plopsa join forces

Plopsaqua in De Panne is a great success. Not only the water park itself, but also the concept behind it appeals to many cities that have difficulty operating a swimming pool themselves. Reason for the cities of Landen and Hannuit to also enter into cooperation with Plopsa Group. The new water park will open its doors this year.

Besides the time factor, the biggest challenge for this project is waterproofing.

Plopsaqua Landen-Hannuit will have many similarities to Plopsaqua De Panne, which opened in 2015. "Among other things, there will be a wave pool, a wild river, a water playground and several spectacular slides," said Dieter Deketelaere, technical director of investments at Plopsa Group. "The concept also provides for an instruction and sports pool, so that school swimmers and sports swimmers can also visit the water park. A win-win. Plopsa invests in the water park and the cities pay an agreed amount annually for the use of the pool. The entire operation is in the hands of Plopsa."

A membrane is applied under the entire floor surface of the wet areas.

On the language border

With an area of just under 5,000 m², Plopsaqua Landen-Hannuit is quite a bit larger than the water park in De Panne. In addition to the aforementioned "attractions," the water park provides several terraces and eateries, including a cafeteria overlooking the instruction and sports pool, so parents can follow their children as they swim. There is also an outdoor area of 3,000 square meters. "The location makes the park extra unique," says Deketelaere. "It is right on the language border of Flanders and Wallonia and therefore very central in Belgium, also along the highway for optimal and easy accessibility. Last year in May, the first spade went into the ground. We are now more than a year on and have already started with the finishing, the installation of floor and wall tiles and the plastering. In this respect, the work is right on schedule. The scheduled opening date is scheduled for December 5."

Construction is in full swing.

Ensuring waterproofing

Besides the time factor, the biggest challenge for this project is waterproofing. Deketelaere: "We visited very many water parks in Europe during the preparation and there are very few that are completely 'dry,' without leaks. That is and remains the biggest challenge in combination with the tight timing. So in Landen-Hannuit, very much attention is paid to waterproofing, such as the connections between floors and walls. A membrane is also installed under the entire floor surface of the wet areas. If things do go wrong somewhere in the connections, there is always a backup that can catch leaks. That means that all drains and decorative elements have additional flanges to work against the membrane. That way we are taking the safe approach."

A wave pool, wild river, water playground and several spectacular slides provide the necessary entertainment.

The new Plopsaqua Landen-Hannuit will open its doors at the end of this year. From then on, the water park expects to welcome 400,000 visitors annually. The third Plopsa water park is also already in the pipeline. "We are currently in the middle of preparing a water park in Mechelen, which should become the largest water park in Belgium," Deketelaere concludes.