ReNutriWater Mentoring Programme: Learning, Sharing, Inspiring

The ReNutriWater Mentoring Programme was designed to support operators of municipal wastewater treatment plants in the Baltic Sea Region who wants to implement modern water recycling technologies. The programme was open to participants from across Europe and aimed to turn interest in water reuse into concrete action.

At the core of the programme was close collaboration between mentees and experienced ReNutriWater mentors, who supported participants in developing tailored action plans for implementing water reuse solutions in their own organisations. The mentoring structure combined joint workshops and individual mentoring sessions over a six-month period.

The joint workshops focused on three key themes:

• Circular economy business models for water reuse,
• Risk management, as a central requirement of water reuse regulation, and
• The WaterSafe IT Tool, which participants were introduced to and tested during the programme.

In addition, each mentee took part in a minimum of four individual mentoring sessions, with many participants engaging in even more meetings to refine their ideas and action plans. Regular joint meetings also provided space for peer learning, exchange of goals, and mutual inspiration.

The programme aimed to help participants identify suitable water and nutrient recovery solutions for their facilities, assess feasibility, and build confidence in developing new business models. Raising awareness of water reuse and sharing ReNutriWater project results were also central objectives.

Mentoring Programme Experiences

To capture programme insights, a few mentees were interviewed. They highlighted the programme’s openness and collaborative spirit as most valuable. Sharing ideas, learning from existing installations, and exchanging experiences with specialists across Europe provided inspiration and concrete insights for local water recycling projects.

“The examples of existing installations were inspiring and allowed us to assess the scale of the project at our company.”
– Jacek Schubert, Head of Investment Department, Municipal Service Company in Wolsztyn, Poland

The mentoring experience also supported professional growth and organisational development. Participants gained confidence in planning sustainable action plans, engaging stakeholders, and communicating technical and environmental concepts effectively. They found that exposure to new perspectives and innovative solutions helped turn abstract ideas into real-world strategies.

Memorable moments included engaging with mentors from different countries, participating in online trainings, and seeing firsthand how treated wastewater can be transformed into a valuable resource rather than being discharged.

“One memorable moment was a discussion I had with another mentor, where we exchanged ideas and experiences about water reuse applications in different urban contexts. This dialogue helped me look at my own project from new perspectives and inspired me to refine my approach.”
– Katerina Zoula, Athens Water Supply and Sewerage Company, Greece

Programme Implementation

The Mentoring Programme was led by the Mineral and Energy Economy Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences (MEERI). Mentors were experienced professionals from ReNutriWater partner organisations, including Savonia University of Applied Sciences, the Chamber of Economy Polish Waterworks, Jūrmalas ūdens, and Samsø Municipality (Denmark).

The programme was developed in 2024, implemented throughout 2025, and is now successfully completed, leaving participants with concrete action plans and strengthened capacity to advance water reuse solutions in their organisations.

Programme Manual Online

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