Yearbook 2020|2021 European Water Association
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European Water Association
Yearbook
2020 | 2021
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European Water Association Yearbook 2020 | 2021
EWA Yearbook 2020/2021
Published and distributed by: Printed and bound by:
European Water Association Kössinger AG, Schierling, Germany
Dipl.-Ing. Johannes Lohaus
General Secretary Editor/Layout:
Theodor-Heuss-Allee 17 Christiane Krieg, DWA, Hennef
D-53773 Hennef
Photo acknowledgements Cover, Header:
Phone: +49 (0)2242 872-189
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Fax: +49 (0)2242 872-135
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Web: www.EWA-online.eu
© EWA European Water Association 2020
We gratefully acknowledge the support of our advertisers and wish them success for the future.
Whilst every reasonable care has been taken in compiling this publication, the European Water Association cannot be held liable
for any inaccuracies, errors or omissions of any kind.
The information in this guide has been provided by the EWA members and edited by the EWA Secretariat.
No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
2
EWA Yearbook 2020/2021
Bjørn Kaare Jensen
EWA President 2019 - 2021
COVID-19 as a game changer for the water sector
There is no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic is a game changer also for the water sector, and many
things have been written already about this fact. But let us recapitulate the situation. It is clear that
the corona virus is not waterborne in the classical sense that people can be infected through waterborne transmission and sub-
sequent drinking water consumption1. COVID-19 is mainly thought to be transmitted between people who are in close contact
spreading from person to person in respiratory droplets or aerosols released when someone with the virus coughs, sneezes or
talks. It can also spread from a person who has the virus to any surface he or she touches.
The virus has been identified in wastewater2, but it is not surprising giving the fact that human excreta will contain such virus in
areas with widespread outbreak of the disease. Concerning drinking water, WHO has stated that the, “presence of the COVID-19
virus has not been detected in drinking-water supplies and based on current evidence the risk to water supplies is low.”3 Today
research has started to investigate the possibility whether there is a chance to install an early warning system using the wastewa-
ter facilities. Nevertheless, it will be a long way and a lot of research will be necessary. But if it works there will be chance to use
such knowledge also for other virus pandemics. The IWA has formed a working group to collect and to share the international
experiences on this topic.
Another aspect, which in this situation has attracted attention, is the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic will severely worsen the
health threat among people with water scarcity and lack of freshwater sources for hygienic purposes. Regular hand-washing is
the most effective way of preventing the virus from being transmitted, but it requires a water supply of a certain standard to do
so. Sadly, the COVID-19 has just made the lack of freshwater sources even worse to such vulnerable communities across the world.
In addition to the health threats of COVID-19, the virus has changed the world and the way we as water professionals are interac-
ting. In the coming years we will see an increase in the use of digitalized meeting fora and a more risk adverse approach to all types
of meeting and professional exchanges which require physical presence. This is for the good, because it will speed up the use of
more sustainable ways of interacting thereby reducing the CO2 footprint and resources in general. On the other hand, it might
also severely hamper professional cooperation across borders, which evidently is crucial to develop and implement new solutions
for a better water environment and for safe water for all. Therefore, we have to find new and innovative ways of international
cooperation to avoid a major set-back in the fulfillment of the SDG 6.
The EWA would like to thank all of the contributors to this issue of the Yearbook, especially some of the EWA’s newly appointed
research members, who have been willing to write articles on some of the challenges and outlooks on the water sector. We are
extremely grateful for the view from Veronica Manfredi, Director for Quality of Life at the DG Environment, for their view on the
impacts of COVID-19 on the European Green Deal. Digitization has come to stay in the water sector. The river management asso-
ciation of the Emscher and Lippe have written an interesting piece on their experiences with “Building Information Modeling”.
The EWA would like to dedicate this issue to all the members who have stayed with us during these difficult times! The cancelling
of IFAT 2020 and the Brussels Conference and many other face-to-face events makes a big impact on the EWA, which would have
given you the possibility to exercise what the EWA stands for in person. Now we are working very hard to offer you the same;
a platform and a turntable for discussion, exchange and transfer of information and know how in Europe, by offering our next
events online (www.ewa-online.eu/events ). Hence, with your continuous dedication and support, we are confident that we can
take on the challenges of the future and ensure Clean Water for Europe.
Keep safe and stay healthy,
1 Guiseppina la Rosa, Lucia Bonadonna, Luca Lucentini, Sebastian Kenmoe, Elisabetta Suffredini. Coronavirus in water environments: Occurrence, per-
sistence and concentration methods - A scoping review. Water Research 179, July 2020, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2020.115899.
2 Willemijn Lodder, Ana Maria de Roda Husman. SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater: potential health risk, but also data source. The lancet. Volume 5, ISSUE 6,
P533-534, June 01, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-1253(20)30087-X
3 World Health Organization. 2020. Technical Brief. Water, sanitation, hygiene and waste management for the COVID-19 virus. March. Website:
https://www.who.int/publications-detail/water-sanitation-hygiene-and-waste-management-for-covid-19. Reference number: WHO/2019-NcOV/IPC_
WASH/2020.1
3
EWA Yearbook 2020/2021 Content Introduction Bjørn Kaare Jensen EWA President 2019 - 2021.............................................................................................................................................................. 3 Facts about EWA................................................................................................................................................................ 5 THE EUROPEAN WATER ASSOCIATION Clean Water for Europe.................................................................................................................................................................. 6 Members of the EWA Management Committee (MC) for the period May 2019 - May 2021 ...................................................... 8 EWA Contacts – EWA Secretariat Staff Members in Hennef........................................................................................................ 8 The William Dunbar Medal.............................................................................................................................................................. 9 Recent Activities.............................................................................................................................................................................. 10 Upcoming Activities........................................................................................................................................................................ 12 The Place of Water in the Green Deal in a post-COVID 19 world................................................................................................... 13 Building Information Modeling - a (Practical) Experience Report................................................................................................ 14 Water Energy Nexus: Assessment of the Impact Deriving from the Use of Water Resources in the Energy Sector...................................................................................................................................................... 16 Ecological Fertilizer from Wastewater Nutrients.......................................................................................................................... 19 EWA’s new research member KU Leuven: research and education on sustainable water solutions................................................................................................................................................................................ 20 Directory of Members................................................................................................................................................... 23 National Members........................................................................................................................................................................... 24 Sponsor Members........................................................................................................................................................................... 29 Corporate Members........................................................................................................................................................................ 31 Research Members......................................................................................................................................................................... 37 Cooperation Organisations............................................................................................................................................................. 39 4 hmauck, pixabay
Facts about
EWA
stevepb, pixabay
EWA Yearbook 2020/2021
THE EUROPEAN WATER ASSOCIATION
Clean Water for Europe
European Water Association (EWA) is the pan-European, non- The Secretary General executes the day-to-day operations of
governmental, non-profit-making, technical and scientific um- the Association. In addition, Standing Committees and Working
brella organization of and for national, corporate and research Groups support the work of the Association.
member associations bringing together all professionals invol-
ved in the water cycle. Simply, it is the voice of water in Europe.
The EWA Standing Committees
It is the platform and turntable for discussion, exchange and
transfer of information and know-how in the European Water From its initiation, the Association has laid emphasis on the
landscape on technical and scientific level, not only between exchange of information and knowledge between professi-
the national member associations and with the corporate onal experts. Through this exchange of knowledge, the EWA
members, but also for distribution of information from the EU contributes to a sustainable water management: safe water
to the members and from the members to EU. EWA’s national supply and the protection of water and the environment. Nu-
members and all their working groups and specialized mem- merous conferences and workshops are a result of the EWA
bers will build a real task-force to analyse, discuss, translate and network. These exchanges of knowledge take place all over
communicate the European Agenda to their national, regional Europe and covers a very broad range of water related topics
and local authorities, the involved consultants, the industry, such as current European water legislation (covering the Water
the contractors and even the general public. Thus; the EWA re- Framework Directive, the Urban Wastewater Directive, as well
presents about 50,000 professional individuals working in the as the Groundwater Directive, Sewage Sludge Directive etc. ).
broad field of water and environmental management. Moreover, technical questions such as the significance of small
wastewater treatment plants in rural areas, or scientific con-
ferences and other topics of the European agenda, which are
Organisation and Structure directly or indirectly involving the water cycle, add to the areas
The highest authority of the EWA is the Council – it has the exe- of expertise of the organisation. The European Water Associa-
cutive power of decision. Each member association (21) is repre- tion organizes conferences and symposia at regular intervals,
sented on the Council and these representatives meet annually on events such as the International Trade Fair (IFAT) in Munich,
to discuss and plan the activities of the association. The smaller as well as its own annual EWA Brussels conference. An increase
Management Committee has responsibility for developing policy in the number of members from Central and Eastern Europe
and is in charge of the daily work of the association, supported (accession countries), has raised the interest for events dealing
by the Secretariat. The Association is represented by the Presi- with water protection issues.
dent, who chairs the Council and the Management Committee.
Organization and Structure
Council
EWA Secretariat
Secretary General
Management Committee
Standing Committees Executive Advisory Panel
European Policy European
Committee Technical and
Scientific
EPC
Committee ETSC
Working Groups
6
EWA Yearbook 2020/2021
The different EWA Committees and Working Groups are the ba-
sis of the organisation’s relentless goal to achieve Clean Water
for Europe. They rely on the voluntary work of experts deriving
from the various European National Member Associations and
work together on various subjects of current interest in the wa-
ter and environmental field.
The committee follows the work of the European Commission
and arranges regular meetings with officials in the Commission,
responsible for activities of relevance to water management.
The committee gives comments and advice to official European
institutions on behalf of its members. The EWA is attending
meetings of the Strategic Co-ordination Group under the WFD
Common Implementation Strategy. Furthermore, the EWA is
in close contact with other European associations and institu-
tions, which has some interdisciplinary contact with the field of
water and wastewater.
European Policy Committee (EPC)
EM80, pixabay
The objectives and responsibilities of the European Policy Com-
mittee (EPC), under the guidance of the governing bodies of
the European Water Association, and within its rules of proce-
dure, are the following: evaluation of knowledge and information, and the comparison
• Organise and coordinate relationships of EWA with Euro- and definition of positions on key technical-scientific issues and
pean level bodies, and especially with bodies of the Euro- aspects affecting water, wastewater and the related environ-
pean Union; ment at the European level.
• Facilitate and create the necessary and useful flows of infor- The ETSC activities are a product of voluntary and passionate
mation amongst the persons and groups representing EWA work and contributions of water and wastewater specialists
towards European level bodies, as well as between the for- having a qualified technical and/or scientific profile that are ac-
mer and the National Associations (NA), members of EWA; tive in the different European countries. Under the ETSC, speci-
• Identify emerging issues and important trends in water re- fic task groups gather to discuss topics or aspects that are rele-
lated European policies and issues, which are of interest to vant and strategic for the water and wastewater management
EWA and its members, in order to allow EWA to anticipate at the European level. The ETSC produces technical and scienti-
future changes and to contribute efficiently to European po- fic papers and strategic position documents. Furthermore, the
licy development; ETSC is able to cooperate with any national member associati-
on within EWA in response to specific national technical-scienti-
• In consequence, and in conjunction with the European Tech- fic topics or issues to be discussed, evaluated and compared at
nical and Scientific Committee (ETSC), propose the evoluti- an appropriate European level.
on of thematic activities and actions of EWA.
The ETSC is also responsible for the organization and sponsor-
ship of EWA workshops, seminars, conferences, and sympo-
European Technical and Scientific Committee (ETSC)
sia having a defined technical-scientific profile (including the
As a particular and “historic” EWA standing committee, the well-established International Water and Wastewater Sympo-
ETSC, European Technical and Scientific Committee provides sium during the biennial international trade fair IFAT in Mu-
a unique European point for the discussion, the exchange and nich, Germany).
Hydraulic calculation for wastewater treatment plants, pipes and open channels
• Design of pipes and open channels • Review of existing assets and
• Assessment of flow distributions facilities with changed loads and
modified treatment concepts
• Minimization of single and friction losses • Interpretation of actual operating
• Verification of desired flow conditions problems caused by hydraulic
conditions
3S Consult GmbH — More than 30 years of engineering and software — www.3sconsult.de
7
EWA Yearbook 2020/2021
Members of the EWA Management Committee (MC) for the period May 2019 - May 2021
Vice president Honorary Treasurer
Bjørn Kaare Jensen (DK) Otto Schaaf (DE)
Past President
Vice president
José de Saldanha Matos
Raymond Erpelding (LU)
(PT)
Chairman „European
MC Member Technical and Scientific
Olivier Chaix (CH) Committee“ (ETSC)
Fabio Tatàno (IT)
Chair Woman of the
MC Member “European Policy
Harsha Ratnaweera (NO) Committee” (EPC)
Wendy Francken (BE)
MC Member
Mara Pavelić (HR)
EWA Contacts – EWA Secretariat Staff Members in Hennef
Secretary General Associate Director
Johannes Lohaus Maj Britt Rosenmeyer Olsen
info@EWA-oline.eu olsen@ewa-online.eu
Tel. +49 2242 872-189 Tel. +49 2242 872-189
Fax +49 2242 872-135 Fax +49 2242 872-135
Office Manager
Mona Lorvik
lorvik@ewa-online.eu
Tel. +49 2242 872-168
Fax +49 2242 872-135
8EWA Yearbook 2020/2021
The William Dunbar Medal
This prestigious medal is awarded to an individual of a member The recipient of the
country of the EWA, in recognition of his or her outstanding William Dunbar Medal 2019:
contribution in applied technical development in the field of se- Jean E. Berlamont
wage and waste treatment and disposal. This Award, donated Professor Jean Berlamont was born in
by IFAT, the international trade fair for water, sewage, refuse, Bruges and lives currently in Leuven.
and recycling, which is organised by the Messe München Inter- He completed his studies as a civil en-
national, has been adopted by the European Water Associati- gineer at the University of Ghent in
on. It was previously presented every two years on the occa- 1969, where he also obtained his PhD degree in Engineering
sion of the EWA Symposium held in conjunction with the IFAT Science in 1975. In 1982, he was appointed professor at the KU
event, however, has now become a highlight at the EWA Brus- Leuven where he also served as dean of the Faculty of Enginee-
sels Conference where the merit occasion is given its spotlight ring Science from 1993 to 1999. Since October 2012, he has been
it deserves. professor emeritus.
The award consists of a gold medal and a certificate. The medal Professor Berlamont is the founder of the Hydraulics Section of
bears the portrait of William Dunbar on one side and on the the Department of Civil Engineering at KU Leuven, Belgium, as
other the logos of the EWA and IFAT. It is given in remembran- well as the laboratories for hydraulics at UMSS in Bolivia and at
ce of William Philips Dunbar, born in 1863 in Minnesota (USA), the Anton de Kom University of Suriname.
who was appointed as Director of the Government Hygenic In-
stitute in Hamburg in September 1892 to assist in managing the Professionally, he has contributed to the challenges of water
disastrous cholera epidemic. Dunbar improved the detection management and hydraulic engineering. For example, he is
procedure for cholera and other pathogens and his pioneering the founder of the ‘Code of good practice for the design of
improvements in city sanitation made him an authority that is sewerage systems’ in Flanders. His research has focused on
still internationally recognised in the sector. daily practice, driven by social issues and technical challenges.
Last, but not least, he was one of the founders of VLARIO - the
consultation platform and knowledge center of and for the se-
werage sector in Belgium.
William Dunbar Medal Award Winners 1975 - 2019
Year Award Winner Country
2019 Prof. Jean Berlamont BE
2017 Prof. Dr. Milenko Roš SI
2015 Prof. Dr. Lászlo Sómlyódy HU
2013 Prof. Dr.-Ing. Karl-Heinz Rosenwinkel DE
2012 Philippe Duchène FR
2010 Prof. OBE, PHD, FCIWEM, CWEM, UK
CEnv Peter Matthews
2008 Prof., MSc, PhD, DSc Jiří Wanner CZ
2005 o. Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. techn. Helmut Kroiss AT Prof. Jean Berleamont, winner of the Dunbar Medal 2019
2002 Prof. Dr.-Ing. Rolf Kayser DE
1999 Prof. Mogens Henze DK
1996 Prof. Dr.-Ing. E.h. Klaus R. Imhoff DE
1993 Geoffrey Ashworth Truesdale UK
1990 em. o. Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Franz Pöpel DE
1987 Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wilhelm von der Emde AT
1984 Herbert A. Hawkes UK
1981 Prof. Dr. sc. nat. E.A. Thomas CH
1978 Dr. Ir. Aale Pasveer NL
1975 Dr. A.L. Downing UK
9EWA Yearbook 2020/2021
Recent Activities
1st EWA Innovation Workshop “Design of Modern Wastewater
Treatment Plants”
The initial EWA Innovation Workshop was held from 25 to 26 Ap-
ril 2019, in the beautiful city of Prague, the capital of the Czech
Republic. Professor Jiri Wanner moderated the workshop whe-
re around 45 participants from all over Europe, and he infor-
med about the water management situation within the Czech
Republic in general, new approaches and new challenges for
the design of wastewater treatment plants. The EWA decided
on Prague as the venue of the workshop because in September
of 2018 the City of Prague started a trial operation of a new
“water line” of the Central Wastewater Treatment Plant. This Field visit in the afternoon
new line is exploiting several processes and operations which
are still not common in large wastewater treatment plants, 14th EWA Brussels Conference “Current Developments in the
e.g., chemically enhanced primary treatment, cascade D-N acti- EU Water Policy”
vated sludge process with an in-situ bio-augmentation of nitrifi- On 4-5 November 2019, the 14th the EWA organized its 14th
cation bacteria or tertiary phosphorus precipitation. The design Brussels Conference. The representation of the State of North
and construction of the plant had to deal with the requirement Rhine-Westphalia to the EU in Brussels hosted, as in previous
of the city to protect the new plant from floods comparable years this occasion. The first session “Achievements and Chal-
to the historical disastrous flood in 2002. In addition to liste- lenges in the Water Sector” was moderated by the chairwo-
ning to the lectures on the Prague project and on the newest man of the EWA European Policy Committee, Wendy Francken.
trends and challenges in wastewater treatment plant design, Her session included three highlights. Starting with a presen-
the workshop participants had the opportunity to explore the tation from Prof. Uhlenbrook with the title “Leaving No One
technology of the New Water Line, which is completely hidden Behind – International Water Policy in Europe and beyond”
in a concrete containment. followed by a presentation from Ronan Uhel from the Euro-
pean Environment Agency in Copenhagen, on “Water bodies in
Europe: Condition, Trends and Prospects”. Veronica Manfredi,
Director for Quality of Life in the DG Environment of the Euro-
pean Commission held the last presentation during this session
“Water on the New Commission’s Agenda: Challenges and Op-
portunities”. The first session was followed by a presentation
and hand over of the EWA position paper on the Urban Was-
te Water Treatment Directive, which was an important topic
of the 3rd session. Fabio Tatàno, the chairperson of the EWA
European Technical and Scientific Committee, moderated the
second session. During this session Bettina Doeser, Head of
the Unit ‘Clean Water’ at DG Environment Quality of Life, spoke
Prof. Jiri Wanner during his opening speech about the evaluation of the Water Framework Directive. “How
to Achieve Real Progress on Water Services and Face Emerging
Challenges?” was the title of the presentation from Dr. Jaime
Baptista, Coordinator of the Lisbon International Centre for
Water (LNEC / LIS-Water), Portugal. “Organic Farming – bene-
fits for the water environment” was a very well recognized con-
tribution from Eric Gall, Deputy Director and Policy Manager of
IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Argriculture Move-
ments) EU-Group in Brussels. The third and last session, “Ur-
ban Wastewater”, was moderated by the EWA President, Bjørn
Kaare Jensen, who also gave the closing remarks. The sessions
starts again with a presentation from the EU commission. Nele
Rosenstock from unit Water Industry and Marine Environment
in the directorate Quality of Life spoke about “Main Lessons
Learnt from the Evaluation of the Urban Waste Water Directi-
Lectures at the beginning of the workshop
ve”. Her presentation was followed by a speech from Stephan
Luther from the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature
Conservation and Nuclear Safety in Bonn, Germany, about Mi-
cropollutants. The last presentation came from Belgium and
dealt about Smart Asset Management. Dr. Jan Goossens, CEO
of Aquafin in Aartselaar, Belgium, impressed the auditorium
with the experiences of his company.
10EWA Yearbook 2020/2021
tant genes and micro plastic, as well as economic aspects of
cold climate operations. The nearly 100 participants were very
grateful for the remarkable program, the fruitful discussions
and the perfect organisation of the conference. EWA is highly
appreciative to Prof. Harsha Ratnaweera, the representative of
the Norwegian member of EWA, for his enormous commitment
to organise and host this conference.
Wendy Francken, chairwo- Veronica Manfredi speaking
man of EWA European Policy about Water on the New
Committee Commission’s Agenda
EWA president, Björn Kaare Jensen, during his opening speach
From left to right; Johannes Lohaus, EWA; Bernard de Potter,
VMM; Wendy Francken, EWA/VLARIO; Veronica Manfredi, DG
Env.; Jean Paul Lickes, Lux. Env. Agency. Group photo at Harbin Institute of Technology
Dunbar Medal Award Ceremony
On the eve of the EWA Brussels Conference the Dunbar Me-
dal Award Ceremony 2019 was handed over to Professor Jean
Berlamont. This merit occasion will be described in the William
Dunbar Medal chapter.
2nd EWA Conference on Water Management in Cold Climates
(WMCC)
Water and wastewater management in cold climate requires
specific design and operational requirements, and the impacts Prof. Harsha Ratnaweera
of climate change is even more challenging in the future. Par-
ticipants at the 1st Water Management in Cold Climates confe-
rence, which was held in Spitsbergen, Norway in 2016, propo-
sed to continue to hold the conference regularly. Thus, the 2nd 16th International Conference on Environmental Science and
WMCC conference was organised on 12-14 January 2020 in Har- Technology (CEST 2019), Greece
bin, China – the city where the world famous ice sculpture fes- From 4-7 September the 16th International Conference on
tival takes place annually. The conference delved into challen- Environmental Science and Technology took place in Rhodes,
ges in regions with seasonal cold climates, as well as extreme Greece. EWA was one of the contributors to the conference
cold climates. The Harbin Institute of Technology hosted the with a keynote speech and an information desk. The confe-
conference, co-organized by the EWA and sponsored by the In- rence has been a success for 30 years. Main organiser and con-
ternational Water Association (IWA). The conference opened ference chairman was Demetris Lekkas from the Department
officially on Sunday, followed by a remarkable visit to the Har- of Environment from the University of the Aegean and an di-
bin Ice and Snow Festival 2020. The range of topics of this con- stinguished EWA research members. 420 participants from 81
ference increased since the initial conference in Spitsbergen. countries attended the conference. The 17th CEST is scheduled
The aspects of climate change were the focal point of nearly for 2021.
each presentation. Furthermore, the conference offered topics
on new challenges regarding micropollutants, anti-biotic resis-
11EWA Yearbook 2020/2021
Upcoming Activities
EWA Water Innovation Workshop Series • 27 October 2020: Day 1: The European Green Deal and
The new EWA event series will tackle technical innovations and Blue Challenges
developments in the water sector. New treatment plants and • 10 November 2020: Day 2: Research and Developments
installations, which have the potential to set trends, will be for the Water Environment
presented by the very same experts who are the pioneers in
this area. The EWA Innovation Series will contain the following • 24 November 2020: Day 3: Water Framework Directive
topics: beyond 2027
• 8 December 2020: Day 4: Future Challenges of the Water
16 September: Water Reuse Framework Directive
Background: Water scarcity is a challenge in Europe. Hence, the
4th EWA Spring Conference: Micropollutants in the Water Sector
topic of water reuse will lessen the burden on stress on fresh-
water supply. On 13 May the EU Parliament approved the Water 5 May 2021, Luxemburg
Reuse Regulation. The EWA Water experts will delve into the Micropollutants are a challenge, for waste water operators
challenges and opportunities of Water Reuse at the 2nd Inno- whose mission is to treat waste water to ensure the protec-
vation Workshop. tion of the environment and ecosystems, and for drinking wa-
• Phosphorus Recovery ter operators, who have to rely on drinking water resources to
produce drinking water. The 4th EWA Spring Conference will
• Micropollution discuss the European approaches to the challenges of these or-
• Mobile Flood Protection Systems ganic or mineral contaminants which are of anthropogenic as
well as natural origin.
EWA series on how to prepare for the upcoming WorldSkills
International conference on Drinking Water Supply & Techno-
The EWA series on WorldSkills will help you to prepare 360° for
logies
both the 46th World-Skills competition, which will take place
on 22-27 September 2021 in Shanghai, China, as well as the November 2021 (tbc), Delft, the Netherlands
47th WorldSkills competition on 12-17 September 2023 in Lyon,
Delft University of Technology, The European Water Associa-
France.
tion (EWA) and KWR Water Research Institute herewith are
organising the International Conference on Drinking Water
A1: WorldSkills Basics for Beginners Supply & Technologies. The topic for the conference is Drinking
9 September 2020 at 12:00 CET Water Supply & Technologies for domestic purposes
A2: Skill #55 “Water Technology – Learning from WorldSkills 7th JSWA/EWA/WEF Speciality Conference: Resilience of Water
2ß19 in Kazan, Russia Service
21 October 2020 at 12:00 CET 7-10 December 2021, Sendai, Japan
The joint JSWA/ EWA/ WEF conference have identified four
A3: Insight 1: How to Build Up a National Structure for principal topics, which will shed a light on Resilience in the Wa-
WorldSkills Competition ter Sector. All the sessions and individual presentations grou-
25 November at 12:00 CET ped in these themes align with the Sustainable Development
Goals SDGs. The situation of refugee and evacuees in the world,
which brings challenges for the water sector will be discussed
EWA Online Course: EU Policy and Legislation at this event as well.
6 and 7 October 2020
Online course in 2 sessions, which introduces you to EU water The intention of the programme is to share experience s from
politics. An EWA certificate will be issued to participants com- across the world covering real life examples of lessons learned
pleting the course. from major events, innovative technologies and practices and
technical scientific research, which strengthens resilience of
water service.
15th EWA Brussels Conference Online/1st EWA Webinar
The European Green Deal and Blue Challenges Joint Conference Themes:
The European Commission has committed themselves to tack- • Theme 1: Resilience in the round
ling climate and environmental-related challenges which is this
generation’s defining task. How the Commission will consider • Theme 2: Resilience of water services for refugees and eva-
the topic of water in its Green Deal strategy is the very heart of cuees
this webinar series. • Theme 3: Smart water strategies to strengthen resilience
• Theme 4: Lessons learned from real life disruptions
For more information, visit the EWA website.
12EWA Yearbook 2020/2021
The Place of Water in the Green Deal in a post-COVID 19 world
The COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented public EU – and as a consequence pressure on water bodies (e.g. from
health emergency. Whereas the extraordinary, yet necessary, agriculture, industry or energy production) – will have altered.
measures taken by Member States and the European Union
saved thousands of lives by slowing down the virus’ spread, At the same time, we can reasonably expect that the post-CO-
the undesirable “side effects” of these very same measures are VID-19 world will be one where a strong sense of community
estimated to come at a high cost to society and the economy. will co-exist with a heightened feeling of vulnerability. Many
Thus, as the worst of the health crisis appears to be subsiding citizens (particularly the younger ones) will have realised that
in the EU, a global economic crisis, the second in only a decade, individual responsibility and solidarity are inseparable, but also
raises its ugly head. The question naturally arises: do we have that what is a given today may fundamentally change tomor-
a plan? Obviously, immediate measures are being implemented row, for better or for worse. It is therefore absolutely neces-
to reduce, as much as possible, the economic shock. Next to sary that we (be it policy makers, professionals, researchers or
these, I can confidently say that yes, we do have a plan. managers) contribute towards further increasing the sense of
unity and reducing the uncertainty at the European, national
In December 2019 the European Commission presented “The and local levels. The means to this end depend on the service
European Green Deal”, a roadmap for making the EU‘s economy each of us provides to society.
sustainable by turning climate and environmental challenges
into opportunities and making the transition just and inclusive At the European Commission, one of our tasks is ensuring the
for all, fully in line with the UN 2030 Sustainable Development proper implementation of policies agreed at the Union level.
Goals. The Green Deal Investment Plan was announced short- Thus, on the one hand, we will redouble our efforts on this front,
ly after. Since December however, within a matter of months, including existing EU water legislation and its enforcement. On
the world as we knew it seems to have changed a lot. After all, the other hand, because the climate and environmental emer-
to paraphrase an old adage, “when man plans, nature laughs”. gencies will not go away, we are convinced that the European
Not this time though. Because this time we have a plan that epi- Green Deal, our new growth strategy and the actions that un-
tomises working with nature instead of operating at nature’s derpin it, should accelerate. With the Green Deal Investment
expense. We have a plan for today and for tomorrow, when Plan flanked by Next Generation EU, an emergency temporary
also the worst of the economic crisis will have passed. recovery instrument, Europeans should feel confident that the
future will be more sustainable and resilient than the past.
Indeed, the European Green Deal inter alia aims to protect,
conserve and enhance the EU‘s natural capital, and protect the European leaders agreed in their joint statement of 26 March
health and well-being of citizens from environment-related risks that both the green and digital transitions should be integrated
(infectious diseases being one) and their impacts. We want to in measures aiming at getting back to a normal, and actually im-
achieve this by transitioning as quickly as possible from a line- proved, functioning of our societies and economies, entailing
ar, carbon-based economy to a circular, sustainable, pollution- more sustainable way of living, producing and consuming. For
free and carbon-neutral one. Still, in the post-COVID-19 world, such a shift to take place, both public and private investments
neither the water cycle, nor the utter importance of water as will have to play a central role in relaunching and modernising
a significant resource for creating wealth and jobs across the Europe’s economy. On 28 April, President von der Leyen liken-
13EWA Yearbook 2020/2021
ded the European Green Deal to a motor for recovery and to holds promises to cut the consumption of water and in parallel
a compass to turn the crisis into an opportunity to rebuild our to retain water and reuse it. Besides increasing water efficiency
economies differently, make them more resilient, and to make and helping in tackling emerging pollutants and micro-plastics,
our society and planet healthier. a Clean and Circular Economy also enhances Europe’s strategic
autonomy by promoting the recycling of materials and nutri-
These positions dovetail with the societal, economic and envi- ents, for example through the recovery of nutrients from sewa-
ronmental importance of water. Fittingly, there is hardly an ini- ge sludge and bio-waste. Therefore, as outlined in the Circular
tiative under the European Green Deal that is not water related. Economy Action Plan, the Commission will, amongst others,
To begin with, we have a Zero Pollution ambition to live in an consider reviewing current provisions on sewage sludge.
environment where water, air and soil are toxic-free. This will
entail strengthening existing legislation (for instance on drin- Finally, increasing the EU’s Climate ambition for 2030 and 2050,
king water, urban wastewater treatment and industrial emis- apart from reducing emissions, will improve the chances of
sions), designing targeted, additional actions (for instance in mitigating the severity of floods and droughts and provide for
the area of freshwater, chemicals and flooding), creating new more resilient societies and economies.
monitoring and prediction tools, and promoting cross-cutting
initiatives such as on pharmaceuticals, digitalisation and stron- The cumulative impact of these forward-looking policies, com-
ger engagement of citizens. bined with a more effective trade and development policy, can
only strengthen also Europe’s water industry, making it fitter to
Several Green Deal initiatives announced in March 2020 bear re- provide its services, in a cost-effective manner, world-wide too.
levance for water policy. Preserving and restoring ecosystems
in line with the 2030 Biodiversity Strategy will directly contri- So, despite the health and economic crises, the European Green
bute to the good ecological status of water bodies. Supplying Deal is as relevant an as necessary as ever, containing the ap-
clean, affordable and secure energy and accelerating the shift propriate ingredients to put the economy back on track, on the
to Sustainable and Smart Mobility will reduce emissions that right track, while promoting those environmental and climate
end up in water and aggravate its chemical status. The Farm to actions that will stave off another crisis. We look forward to you
Fork Strategy address inter alia the use of pesticides and ferti- being our companions on this ambitious journey – with clean
lisers with a view to reduce their negative impacts on water. and efficiently managed water at the heart of our joint efforts,
Building and renovating in an energy and resource efficient way not just in the EU, but across the world.
Building Information Modeling - a (Practical) Experience Report
Introduction entire lifecycle of a facility, it is highly recommended to abandon
“Building Information Modeling (BIM)” has become an important the current hesitant approach towards BIM gradually.
component in the field of digitization and is associated with high
In the light of these considerations, the Emschergenossen-
expectations at the political level. The EU BIM Task Group assumes
schaft (in short, EG) launched a pilot project in 2013 in order to
in its „Handbook for the introduction of Building Information Mo-
examine whether the advantages of the BIM methodology can
deling (BIM) by the European public sector“ possible cost savings
be generated. Another reason was to identify and formulate
of 13- 21 % in the design and construction phase and up to 10- 17 % in
the relevant questions for a broad implementation of BIM.
the operation phase of a building.
A pilot project for the application of BIM methods The Emscher
While the BIM approach is already widely applied in structural
region is transforming - yet again. With the decline of the mi-
engineering, the implementation of BIM in the water sector still
ning industry, a structural change forces the traditional heavy
appears to be rather an exception nowadays. Considering the
industry to yield for products derived from high technology and
background of the ongoing digitization and thus the opportuni-
the service sector. By terminating the subsidence method, the
ties derived from a consistent data management throughout the
wastewater is discharged in closed underground channels and
14EWA Yearbook 2020/2021
the rivers as well as its tributaries are converted into near-natu- ration platform. The EG provided the project participants with
ral waters – an intergenerational project. pre-configured tablet PCs, which were ready to document the
construction work directly. After minor start challenges, the
The EG has been and still is investing approx. 5.6 billion € in this pro-vided tools were routinely used by all stakeholders. Some
intergenerational project from 1992 to the end of 2021. A sig- documentation processes required fundamental changes in
nificant part of this investment is spent on facilities requiring order to be implemented. Others, however, sufficed minor ad-
substantial equipment, such as stormwater treatment plants or justments.
pumping stations. When searching for a suitable pilot project
for implementing BIM, the pumping station of Oberhausen, In the design phase, the 3D model that was created by contrac-
which is connected to the Emscher sewer was selected. In the ted technical engineering consultants and could be used for
near future, this pumping station will be pumping up to 15.3 m3 detecting clashes between structural- and technical equipment
of wastewater per second to an elevation of more than 42 met- components.
res high. The ten installed pumps require an electrical output of
10MW. The total investment for the pumping station amounts This method enabled spatial conflicts to be resolved prior to
to approx. 66 million €. the execution on the construction site, which may have caused
delays and additional costs during assembly using a conven-
Figure 1 shows the 3D model of the pumping station. tional approach.
Figure 2 shows a section of the detailed engineering model.
The greatest added value for the operators of i.e. water ma-
nagement plants is the availability of data and documents ge-
nerated during the construction and installation. A prerequisite
for a successful transfer to the operational phase is well-struc-
tured data and documents. The data structure has already been
defined for the Oberhausen pumping station, and the transfer
into an operation management system is scheduled for the
near future. In order to generate the greatest possible benefit
from the data in the operation phase, every adjustment to the
plant must be reflected in the documentation accordingly.
Figure 1: 3D-model of the pump station in Oberhausen
The pilot project was carried out taking into consideration spe-
cific boundary conditions that did not represent the “typical”
procedure when using BIM methods.
The most relevant “atypical“ constraints were:
• in order to avoid delays, constructions are carried out using
conventional 2D design. The phase of construction and do-
cumentation is supported with BIM tools for the structural,
mechanical and electrical engineering trades. For this purpo-
se, in each individual trade, models with a lower level of de-
tail were created in order to localize as-signed information
geometrically. Figure 2: Section of the 3D model for the detail engineering
• The BIM implementation plan (BIP) was introduced while
the project was already in the execution phase. The path beyond
The previous experience of EG with BIM shows the great po-
BIM tools to be used should not have prerequired any special
tential of the method as an integral part of the company‘s digi-
(IT) knowledge by the project staff. Required methodologi-
tization strategy. Associated with these opportunities are chal-
cal and technological competencies will be gradually built up
lenging requirements imposed on involved people, processes
with-in the EG over the next few years. In order to successful-
and technologies. In order to avoid overburdening stakehol-
ly carry out the pilot project, an external BIM consultant was
ders, the BIM methodology will be introduced within managea-
contracted. For getting an insight into the expectations, ideas
ble pilot scaled projects. Changing requirements in terms of
and reservations of all stakeholders involved in the project, ten
processes, roles and responsibilities can be identified and im-
workshops were performed within the EG.
plemented in small steps. The employees involved in the pilot
projects can act as multipliers throughout the whole company.
First experiences
EG is convinced that BIM offers opportunities, despite of all the
When the underground construction began, all parties involved
challenges that still exist.
were equipped with a BIP with already defined roles and res-
ponsibilities of the project, as well as a browser-based collabo-
15EWA Yearbook 2020/2021
Water Energy Nexus: Assessment of the Impact Deriving from the Use of Water
Resources in the Energy Sector
F. CASTROGIOVANNI, L. BOREA, V. BELGIORNO, V. NADDEO
Sanitary Environmental Engineering Division (SEED), Depart- In this historical period, when drought and climate change are
ment of Civil Engineering, University of Salerno, Fisciano becoming increasingly intense, the needs for water and energy
84084 (SA), Italy are constantly increasing. This phenomenon will have an im-
pact on the water sector, which should not be underestimated,
Abstract since only 3% of global water reserves are made up of fresh wa-
Water and energy are strongly interconnected. Water is used ter and two thirds of this quantity are trapped in polar ice caps
in all energy production processes. Without forgetting that ta- and glaciers (Mancini, 2018).
king sample, purifying, transporting, disposing or treating wa-
Understanding the links between water and energy is, therefore,
ter need a considerable energy consumption.
indispensable in order to anticipate future stress points, and to
The concept of „Water Energy Nexus“ analyzes the life cycle identify the policies, technologies and practices suitable and use-
of this relationship, assessing how water is a fundamental ele- ful for solving the possible risks associated with this phenomenon.
ment for the energy production.
2. Material and Methods
In this study, the impact deriving from the use of water resour-
ces in the energy sector was evaluated in order to have an esti- The „water intensity“ is an important indicator of environmen-
mate of the water resource quantity that is required to satisfy tal pressure as it determines and quantifies the impact deriving
the current energy needs. from the use of water resources for the electricity production.
Finally, possible future scenarios were studied by providing The analysis of energy production schemes, both from renewa-
estimates on the variation of water-energy bond considering ble and non-renewable sources, is essential in order to determi-
the growing development of renewable sources. ne the phases in which the water is used, both during operating
phase and during its life cycle.
Keywords: Water, electricity, impact, environment, renewable
sources, sustainable development From the previous analysis it was possible to estimate the
quantities of water consumed, analyzing the water consumpti-
on needed both during the operating phase for the production
1. Introduction of electricity and during the useful life of the treatment plants.
„Water Energy Nexus“ is an indissoluble bond that reflects the These data were compared with the data relating to the electri-
interdependence between natural resource systems. Water is city produced using the „Terna“ database.
used in all energy production processes and, at the same time,
The data used for the analysis of water consumption in the
energy is used in the collection, purification, transport, disposal
treatment plant life cycle are taken from the scientific literature
and water treatment phases (Spagni et al., 2016).
and, in particular, from the „World Energy Outlook 2016“. While
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has calculated that elec- the estimate of the evolution of the use of water resources for
tricity production requires 15% of global water withdrawals and electricity generation according to the electricity demand until
that this share is expected to increase by 20% in the next 20 2060 was carried out with reference to the data provided by
years (IEA, 2016). the „World Energy Council“.
16EWA Yearbook 2020/2021
3. Results and Discussion
Table 1 shows all the data relating to the analysis which were
conducted to identify the water-electricity relationship for
each energy source.
Table 1. Water quantities used in electricity generation processes
(Fthenakis and Kim, 2010, Meldrum et al., 2013)
Water Intensity: Water Intensity:
Total water con- Total water consu-
sumed per unit med in the instal-
electrical energy lation and disposal
produced phases of the plants
(l/kWh) (l/kWh)
Coal 1.06 3.78 x 10-3 < x < 0.09
Figure 1. Water consumption for the main energy sources,
Oil 1.19 3.78 x 10-3 < x < 0.02 “Modern Jazz” scenario
Natural Gas 0.26 3.78 x 10-3 < x < 0.01
Nuclear Energy 1.59 3.78 x 10-3 < x < 0.02
Hydroelectric 5.71 0.10
Energy
Biomass 0.21 3.78 x 10-3
Geothermal 16.16 7.58 x 10-3
Energy
Solar Energy Negligible 0.12 < x < 0.60
Wind Energy Negligible 3.78 x 10-3 < x < 0.03
As regards to the values relating to solar and wind energy, they
are clearly low since in electricity production, water does not
have a primary role compared to other plants.
By using these values for the calculation of the „water inten- Figure 2. Water consumption for the main energy sources,
sity“, it was possible to estimate the water consumed for the “Unfinished Symphony” scenario
production of electricity in Italy, in Europe and in the world.
For the analysis of the evolution of water consumption, three
different scenarios presented in the „World Energy Council
2016“ were analyzed.
In the „Modern Jazz“ scenario, the world is characterized by the
improvement of the life quality which will lead to the production
of more electricity to satisfy the ever increasing energy needs.
In the „Unfinished Symphony“ scenario, there will be global col-
laborations with the aim to protect the environment. This will
lead to a marked increase in the use of renewable sources, which
will cover around 60% of global electricity production in 2060.
In the „Hard Rock“ scenario, the world will be fragmented,
therefore each state will implement its own electricity pro- Figure 3. Water consumption for the main energy sources,
duction, avoiding entering import-export commercial relation- “Hard Rock” scenario
ships.
Figures 4 and 5 show the total water consumption for each
Starting from the data relating to the evolution of the electricity scenario and the estimated total energy produced for each in-
production from the main energy sources, estimates of the rela- dividual scenario, in 2020 and in 2060.
tive water consumption in the world were therefore identified.
These estimates are shown in Figure 1, 2 and 3.
17EWA Yearbook 2020/2021
me clear that it is necessary to reduce the use of fossil fuels for
electricity production. In particular, thermal power plants con-
sume large quantities of water and use non-renewable sources,
destined to run out. It is therefore essential to develop techno-
logies for the production of clean energy, which consume very
low quantities of water.
Finally, this study proposed three possible future energy scena-
rios, each of which foresees the evolution of energy demand
and the consequent impact on the water sector in 2060.
The scenario with the least global impact for both water and
energy is the “Hard Rock“ scenario. According to this scenario,
in 2060 the energy requirement will be covered by 40% from re-
newable sources, the total estimated water consumption will be
Figure 4. Total water consumption by 2020 and 2060 for the around 70 billion m3 for an electricity production of 44.47 TWh.
three scenarios analyzed
References
EDF Energy (2010). Environmental Product Declaration of electri-
city from Sizewell B nuclear power station. Londra: EDF Energy
Flury K., Frischknecht R. (2012). Life cicles inventories of hid-
roelectric power generation. ESU – services fair consulting in
sustainability: 1-15
Fthenakis V., Kim H.C. (2010). Life-cicle uses of water in U.S.
electricity generation. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Re-
views 14: 2039-248
IEA. (2016). Water Energy Nexus – Excerpt from the World
Energy Outlook 2016. Parigi: IEA
Figure 5. Energy produced in 2020 and 2060 for the three scena- Mancini M. (2018). Water and energy support economic and so-
rios analyzed cial development. Water and energy. A risky relationship
From the analysis of the data obtained, it is possible to antici- Meldrum J., Nettles-Anderson S., Heath G., Macknick J. (2013).
pate that the highest energy production will be recorded in the Life cycle water use for electricity generation: a review and
first scenario, with a value of 48,491 TWh in 2060. While in the harmonization of literature estimates. Enviromental Research
„Unfinished Symphony“ scenario, water consumption is expec- Letters 8: 1-18
ted at 79.58 billion m3, even if this scenario is characterized by a
strong development of solar and wind technologies, therefore Spagni A., Ferraris M., Mattioli D., Petta L., Brunori C. (2016).
is considered sustainable from an environmental point of view. Water-energy nexus: the dark part of the water cycle, climate
change and circular economy. Energy, Environment and Inno-
vation, 1: 82-87
4. Conclusion
Understanding relationship between water and energy is es- Terna (2016). Analisi sinteticadei dati elettrici più rappresentati-
sential in order to anticipate future stress points, and to iden- vi dell’anno 2016. Roma: Terna S.p.A.
tify policies, technologies and practices useful for solving the World Energy Council (2016). World Energy Scenarios 2016 –
possible risks associated with this phenomenon. In evaluation The Great Transition. Londra
of impacts on water in the electricity generation sector, it beca-
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