EUREAU statement on water efficiency
European Water suppliers welcome the efforts the Commission and countries are making to highlight and address the challenges of water scarcity and drought. EUREAU is confident that its members have already taken action and are implementing initiatives to address the issue of water scarcity to develop concrete long term solutions.
Over the past 10 years, its members have invested billions of Euros to improve both the quality and reliability of drinking water supplies across Europe. However we recognise that more still needs to be done particularly in consideration of the potential impacts of a changing climate and we will be working with the European Commission and the River Basin Planning authorities to ensure that these issues are fully addressed.
The first River Basin Management Plans have moved us closer to tackling some of these issues but more is required to be done in the second round of River Basin Management Planning which will need all sectors to play their full part in delivering the objectives of the Water Framework Directive (WFD). Water scarcity cannot be solved by water suppliers alone and all abstractors of water from the environment have an important part to play, as well as consumers. EUREAU is committed to working with all interested parties to find the most efficient economic solutions to the challenge of water scarcity and drought and our priority will be to ensure that the impact of cost to water consumers is minimised.
One of the key elements to be considered is water recycling and reuse, as much as possible: this way of doing more with the same amount of water must be thoroughly studied and implemented wherever possible.
EUREAU notes the Commission has quoted a study published in 2007 to estimate that there is potential to make up to 40% savings in water use. The study presents a wide range of potential measures to save water, however the report does not provide an analysis of the feasibility or economics of achieving these savings, which obviously depends on the starting point. EUREAU members’ actions have already resulted in a reduction in water abstracted for drinking water purposes, up to 30% in some utilities, and EUREAU is keen to work with the Commission to understand how these further water savings can be achieved, the feasibility and cost implications concerning devices and water supply for consumers across Europe. EUREAU members want to see these issues properly addressed in the next river basin management plans and we will be working with Planners and the Commission to ensure that robust evidence and plans are in place for the second cycle.
Press contact: Marta Gomez Andres - Tel: +32 (0)491 050 893.
Related Article:EU to table directive on water savings in buildings (EurActiv 02 April 2010)
10/08/2009
EUREAU AT WORLD WATER WEEK (Stockholm)
Upstream Emission Control of Water Framework Directive (WFD) Priority and Priority Hazardous Substances
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EUREAU is pleased to invite you at the seminar organized with Svensktvatten, the Swedish River Basin District Authorities on the 19th of August from 2 PM at International Fairs (Stocholmmässan), Mässvägen 1, Room T6
Seminar text
One of the challenges of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) is to meet the Environmental Quality Standards (EQS) Directive requirements for priority and priority hazardous substances. A variety of different measures have to be mapped, planned and implemented in order to meet these challenges of this directive in the European river basins. This requires coordination and contributions of all stakeholders.
In implementing the WFD, drinking water resources must be protected to avoid deterioration of water source quality and lead to reduction in the level of purification treatment as described in Article 7(3) of WFD. Similarly, municipal wastewater treatment plants are not able to treat all these substances and therefore have to be backed by an upstream control approach. These are the principles of emission controls embed in the EQS Directive and WFD.
The main objective of the seminar is to identify sources of priority substances, not sufficiently addressed by existing measures that significantly contribute to water bodies failing to achieve good status; and to identify potential measures and control strategies to tackle those sources. The seminar will focus on diffuse sources from wide spread urban activities such as commercial and smaller industries, general service activities households and urban infrastructure.
Programme:
Chair: Pierre-Yves Monette, Secretary-General EUREAU
Opening and welcome |
|
14:30 |
PS/PHS in the RBMP of the Northern Baltic Sea, focussing on the city of Stockholm. Mr. Arne Jamtrot, City of Stockholm, and Mr. Lennart Sorby, Water Director of Northern Baltic Water District Sweden. |
14:55 |
Questions for clarification |
15:00 |
Priority pollutants in urban wastewater: screening and management strategies, Mr. Raphael Demouliere, French Ministry of Environment, France. |
15:25 |
Questions for clarification |
15:30 |
Coffee break |
16:00 |
PS/PHS - Developing control strategies based on a risk based catchment management approach to understanding relative sources of pollution, Dr Arthur Thornton, Regulation and Compliance Research, Atkins, United Kingdom |
16:25 |
Questions for clarification |
16:30 |
Experiences from the WFD PS EU-Research Project SOCOPSE, Mr. John Munthe, Swedish Environmental Research Institute |
16:55 |
Questions for clarification |
17:00 |
Panel discussion |
17:30 |
Closure |
23/06/2009
EUREAU STATISTICS OVERVIEW
For the first time, EUREAU will publish a comprehensive statistics overview on the water sector in Europe as well as in each EU country, providing to policy makers, environmental agencies, stakeholders and journalists a unique combination of data directly issued from the drinking water and waste water utilities.
link
20/01/2009
Eureau meets MEP Miroslav OUZKY, Chairman of the ENVI Committee
Eureau delegation meets today the MEP Miroslav OUZKY to discuss topics of importance for EUREAU.29/10/2008
