Once the water barrier is up, everything is checked. Screws are tightened and the barrier is swept clean. A number of residents of Bunschoten know that the test is today and come to take a look. Steven Koelewijn, for example, cycles past. “It’s always nice to see,” he remarks matter-of-factly. The water barrier has always been very important to the village, he knows. As a guide on the botters, he regularly tells the stories, including about the flood disaster in 1916. At that time, Bunschoten, Spakenburg and Eemdijk were hit by high water.