De Waterwolf pumping station

You are at De Waterwolf pumping station. De Waterwolf pumping station is an important piece of history in our water management. Until 1877, excess water from large parts of Groningen and Drenthe was drained naturally into the sea via the Reitdiep. When part of the Reitdiep was closed off in 1877 with a dike containing a lock, it became impossible to drain the inland water sufficiently into the sea. This was partly due to the silting up of an outer channel. The result was that large areas were flooded, especially during periods of heavy rainfall. In order to keep their feet dry, the province and the national government decided to build a pumping station: De Waterwolf. This pumping station, which opened in 1920 near Lammerburen, was the first electrically powered pumping station in the Netherlands. At the time of its opening, this pumping station, together with the Ir. D.F. Woudagemaal near Lemmer, was the largest pumping station in Europe. De Waterwolf was built and managed by the Electra water board. That is why both the pumping station and the place where the building stands are often referred to by this name.

The Waterwolf symbolizes our community's perseverance in the fight against flooding. Today, the pumping station is a national monument and indispensable for draining water from a huge area stretching from Uithuizen in the north to Smilde in the south. Ultimately, all that water flows into De Waterwolf in two streams: from the east via the Reitdiep and from the west via the Kommerzijlsterriet. 

The Waterwolf has an impressive capacity and can move up to 4,500 cubic meters of water per minute. Imagine, that's more than 100 tanker trucks full of water or almost 2 Olympic swimming pools! This enormous power makes it possible to prevent flooding and maintain water levels.