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Boezemstelsel of Rotterdam and | |
A boezemstelsel in the Netherlands is a system that buffers excess volume at a variable level above that of a polder bottom and on its way out to sea. It stores excess water until release is timely, and it can augment groundwater in a time of drought. It's the place to put polder-bottom water, and from which to draw it back down if it's needed.
Usually shared by several polders, a boezemstelsel normally comprises diverse bodies of water that are openly connected - canals, lakes, ditches, shipping waterways. A local authority determines the aspirational level of a boezem system, and the true level fluctuates in service of regulation at polder-bottom where strict maintenance is important.
Electric pumps previously wind, steam and then diesel elevate water from the polder floor to the boezem. The boezem holds the water until its release, controlled for volume and quality - pumped again, usually into a river by which it goes to sea.