NURSECOAST-II gave feedback to new EU water initiative

The Water Efficiency First initiative aims to help put water efficiency into practice in many policy domains and by all sectors using water.

Water is vital for the economy, food, energy and ecosystem services. Access to drinking water is likewise a human right. Reducing water consumption and water abstraction through higher efficiency and circularity is therefore paramount to safeguarding Europe’s water security, well-being and competitiveness.

NURSECOAST-II supports European Commissions initiative to establish a European Water Resilience Strategy (WRS).

We also gave some recommendations:

• More attention should be paid to small wastewater treatment plants, harmonization of legislation and technology development/innovation to strengthen water resilience in Europe. For instance, the data for small wastewater treatment plants (<2000 PE) is incomplete, and their environmental effects cannot be reliably assessed.
• A common EU-level database and uniform measurement practices would be necessary. Current EU legislation does not cover small treatment plants, which leads to significant differences in treatment requirements in different countries. Uniform regulations and gradual implementation could promote effective nutrient load management. Innovative solutions can improve purification efficiency and implementation of these should be promoted. Although recycling solutions exist, their cost-effectiveness and public acceptability are challenges.
• More research and incentives are needed to utilize nutrients in wastewater, for example in agriculture.
• In addition, local conditions and environmental, social and economic perspectives should be better integrated into decision-making.
• Moreover, the 5R principle (reduce, recycle, reuse, restore, recover) should be highlighted.

Read more about the recommendations and the EU initiative here.

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