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FAQs

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On this page you'll find the questions we're most frequently asked!

A technical textile designed to treat polluted stormwater
A depolluting aquatextile is a technical textile designed to treat pollutants carried by stormwater (runoff).
 
InDi'Green provides natural, maintenance-free treatment of  stormwater contaminated by hydrocarbons and PAHs. Thanks to its unique structure, it captures and immobilizes hydrocarbons while releasing a natural active substance that increases and improves the soil's self-purifying capacity. 
 
A depolluting textile to complement stormwater infiltration systems
An aquatextile is a complementary solution to stormwater infiltration system "at source", and can complement or replace a hydrocarbon separator on a project.
While the infiltration structure allows water to seep into the ground, the aquatextile allows this water to infiltrate in a depolluted state, thus avoiding any pollution of the soil and aquifers.
What is a geotextile?

The function of a geotextile is to create a permeable physical barrier between the natural soil and granular materials used for structures or pavements. This barrier allows water to pass through and prevents the finest parts of the natural soil from migrating and altering the structure of the added materials. A geotextile can also protect, drain or reinforce soil.

What is an aquatextile?
By managing the quality of stormwater that seeps into the ground, an aquatextile or depolluting aquatextile fulfills the function of water treatment. It is dedicated to the depollution of rainwater/runoff water.
 
In addition to high permeability and fixation rates, an aquatextile delivers a natural active substance that increases and improves the soil's self-purifying capacity. In other words, aquatextiles systematize and accelerate the biodegradation of hydrocarbons compared with natural soils, preventing pollution stagnation, which is harmful to soils and their biodiversity.
 
Unlike aquatextiles, geotextiles have no effect on the biodegradation of pollutants. They therefore do not perform the same functions.
 
Special features of InDi'Green
InDi'Green aquatextile has been specifically designed for installation under parking spaces and permeable parking roads. Its tensile strength (20 kN/m, equivalent to Class 6) has been adapted to meet the needs of these structures, eliminating the need for a geotextile in this specific application.

 

For more information on the use of aquatextiles in open-air and buried infiltration structures, their application and technical installation diagrams, please visit our dedicated GeoClean® aquatextile website.

Organic micro-pollutants
As an active oil-depolluting aquatextile, InDi'Green is designed to sustainably eliminate C10-C40 hydrocarbon pollution, including PAHs, transported by runoff and to biodegrade it. 
 
Can other types of hydrocarbons also be treated?
Other micropollutants with physico-chemical properties similar to hydrocarbons can also be treated by aquatextiles.  Contact us for a specific study.
Independent external laboratories
Aquatextile's performance in terms of durability, permeability, fixation and biodegradation of hydrocarbons has been measured by independent external laboratories, including Cerema and Leesu in France.
 
TenCate AquaVia is ISO 9001 (Quality), ISO 14001 (Environment) and ISO 45001 (Safety) certified.
 
Field validation
Over 500 projects have been designed in France and Europe using our GeoClean® and InDi'Green® aquatextiles, some of which have been validated by the French water authorities (DDT) or DREAL.
Designed for a specific application
InDi'Green aquatextile has been designed for specific use under parking spaces and permeable parking roadways: it has a high tensile strength of 20 kN/ - equivalent to a class 6, which means that geotextile is not required in this application.
 
How about calculating the cost per parking space?
De-polluting stormwater during infiltration with our aquatextile costs €2 / parking space / year.
 
Since it requires no maintenance, InDi'Green has the advantage of representing a single cost, that incurred at the time of installation.
Natural soil is by nature heterogeneous in space, structure and composition.
It will therefore have very different properties from one site to another. Depending on its particle size, it retains a fraction of pollutants in particulate form. It can also bind pollutants in dissolved form, depending on its permeability, organic matter content, pH and physico-chemical nature, among other factors. It can also crack during periods of drought.
 
Inspired by nature, InDi'Green offers improved performance compared to natural soil: its hydrocarbon fixation and biodegradation properties are optimal, systematic and quantified, whatever the environment in which it is installed.
More specifically, InDi'Green:
  • Have homogeneous properties across their entire surface, whereas natural soil can be highly heterogeneous;
  • Accelerate and amplify the biodegradation of organic micropollutants by systematically supplying the mineral nutrients required by the endemic microbiota. These nutrients are not always available in the soil, or not in sufficient quantities;
  • Regulate environmental humidity over longer periods of dry weather, an essential element for micro-organisms.
Aquatextiles benefit soil biodiversity

Aquatextiles protect deeper soil layers, whereas natural soil can be polluted over several tens of centimetres or even up to 1m. This is particularly important for protecting shallow water tables and preserving soil biodiversity.
Last but not least, aquatextiles offer additional protection in the event of small spills (accidents between cars, uncontrolled emptying, etc.).

Durability beyond the life of the structure
InDi'Green® is a sustainable solution. 
 
Aquatextile has a stable polymer matrix, inert in natural soil, with a durability of over 50 years (in accordance with NF EN ISO 13438). This guarantees its ability to trap hydrocarbons and PAHs over the long term, thanks to its oleophilic nature, which lasts just as long.
 
Endless biodegradation
Biodegradation is carried out by the ecosystem of microorganisms endemic to the site, brought in by runoff or living in the soil in contact with the aquatextile, and which colonize it. Their natural renewal is infinite. The addition of non-endemic bacteria is unnecessary in the long term.
 
Biodegradation is enhanced by the availability of natural nutrients on the aquatextile filaments. These mineral nutrients are then recycled back into the structure by microorganisms, making them available again to future generations of bacteria and fungi.
Risk of clogging by hydrocarbons 


There is no risk of clogging by hydrocarbons, as long as this input is less than its maximum binding capacity, which corresponds to chronic input or occasional small accidental spills (accidents between cars, unauthorized emptying, etc.). Hydrocarbons and PAHs are fixed by adsorption to the surface of InDi'Green®'s oleophilic filaments, leaving its high porosity (> 85%) free for the circulation of water or air.
The biodegradation of fixed hydrocarbons enables their regular elimination and regenerates the fixing surfaces. This makes it a maintenance-free solution.

What happens in the event of an accidental spill?
In the event of a major spill, the porosity of the aquatextile can be filled. In this exceptional case, InDi'Green® slows the spread of hydrocarbons deep down in the soil before the safety services arrive. Cleaning of the road structure and infiltration structure may require replacement of the saturated aquatextile surface.
 
Risk of clogging with fines
We recommend filtering or settling devices upstream of the aquatextile to limit the flow of solid particles transported with the water: for example, layers of soil or sand covering the aquatextile in open infiltration solutions or under permeable pavements.
 
If a few particles are retained by the aquatextile, there will be no impact on water infiltration into the structure, as the aquatextile is highly permeable relative to requirements (permeability > 10.10-2 m/s, 100 times greater than that of the materials in contact).
A solution installed for the life of the structure
InDi'Green® is a durable solution (> 50 years) that is installed for the life of the infiltration structures it equips, i.e. several decades.
 
It does not need to be replaced. Should they need to be removed, several recycling options are available:
  • Recycling of the material, after removal of dust and soil particles
  • Energy recovery from high-calorific material that does not emit toxic substances
Dedicated sales engineers...
At TenCate AquaVia, we have a team of dedicated business engineers for France. They'll be happy to help you with your stormwater management projects.
To find out who's in charge of your area 👉 https://indigreensolution.com/fr/contact 
 
... supported by an available technical team
For more specific technical questions, assistance with project sizing or the production of technical files, you can get in touch with our technical and innovation team.
For further information 👉 https://indigreensolution.com/fr/contact
InDi'Green is resistant to processing

InDi'Green® has been designed to be highly resistant to installation, both in terms of tensile strength and puncture resistance. This resistance means that it can be used without risk of damage in all common rainwater infiltration structures under permeable pavements, when the grain size of the material in contact with the aquatextile is less than 40 mm.

An installation guide is available
Please also refer to TenCate AquaVia's application-specific installation recommendations. Backfilling on aquatextile must be carried out with care.
No vehicular traffic is allowed directly on the aquatextile. Under these conditions, the mechanical characteristics of InDi'Green® preserve its integrity when installed between the natural soil and the granular material in contact.
 
Contact us for specific installation conditions or if in doubt 👉 https://indigreensolution.com/fr/contact

Our aquatextiles are distributed by partners chosen according to country.
Contact us to find out which partner is right for your country.

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