Five years ago, a simple but ambitious idea began to grow near Braniewo, Poland through the Baltic Sea Region: what if every drop of water could be used more than once? That idea became WaterMan – a cross-border Interreg Baltic Sea Region project co-funded by the European Union uniting municipalities, research institutes, and water companies around one shared mission: to make water recycling a practical, local reality.
Now, the results are tangible. Across six partner countries, new water management systems, feasibility studies, and water reuse strategies are transforming how communities manage their most vital resource. The message is clear: the future of water resilience has already begun.
When WaterMan launched in 2023, its founding principle was both modest and powerful: just get started. Instead of waiting for perfect conditions, the partners committed to testing solutions on the ground—using existing technologies, tailored to local circumstances, and designed to be affordable and low-maintenance.
The goal was not just to innovate, but to demonstrate that water recycling works in practice. Whether tackling too much water during floods or too little water during droughts, each pilot project would show how even small local actions could make a measurable difference.
Pilot examples That Make a Difference
In Kalmar, Sweden, a team of municipal gardeners led one of WaterMan’s earliest pilots: a mobile container-based wastewater recycling system used to irrigate young trees. Compact, efficient, and ready to replicate, it provides a model for any municipality wanting to green its spaces without draining its resources.
In Gargždai, Lithuania, a low-cost stormwater retention pond inspired by Swedish examples became a local milestone—the first of its kind in the country. What started as an experiment is now a functioning demonstration site showing how simple designs can yield major benefits for local water resilience.
In Berlin, Germany, researchers at the Center of Competence for Water took a data-driven approach, studying how treated wastewater could be reused as cooling water for industrial facilities. Their feasibility study provides the evidence policymakers need to move from theory to action.
And in Braniewo, Poland, the project introduced a dual pilot: a rain garden that captures and filters runoff from a parking area, and a swimming-pool recycling system designed to reuse treated pool water for non-drinking purposes. Together, these solutions turn everyday public sites into living examples of sustainable water use. They also help educate local communities—through signage and school visits—about the importance of smart water management in a changing climate.
Learning and Sharing Across Borders
One of WaterMan’s biggest successes lies in how knowledge flows among its partners. Through continuous peer reviews, expert consultations, and cross-country exchanges, each team refined its work with input from others.
This spirit of collaboration made it possible for regions at very different stages of water management development to learn from each other. Swedish experience informed Lithuanian innovation; Polish pilots inspired educational initiatives; and German research offered scientific grounding for future regulations.
As one partner summed it up: “In WaterMan, progress didn’t come from working in isolation—it came from learning together.”
From “If” to “How”
By 2025, the project’s focus had evolved from experimenting with technologies to shaping long-term strategies. Each region developed its own model strategy for water recycling, analysing how local geology, climate, and governance and formulated actions to promote water reuse.
The results point in one direction: the debate is no longer if water recycling should happen—it’s how to make it standard practice.
Still, challenges remain. Many countries lack e.g. financial investments or clear legal quality standards of recycled water. To help fill these gaps, WaterMan partners have prepared a policy paper to share their insights with national and EU policymakers. The aim is to make regulatory systems as adaptive as the technologies they govern.
WaterMan’s legacy is already spreading. Local authorities across the Baltic Sea Region are adopting its methods, adapting its pilots, and integrating water recycling into urban planning. The mindset is shifting—from emergency response to long-term resilience.
The work doesn’t end here. WaterMan’s open-access Toolbox gathers all project materials—technical blueprints, policy recommendations, and step-by-step guides—for anyone ready to take their own first steps toward water recycling. Visit the WaterMan Toolbox !
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