ReNutriWater aims for more sustainable water use
The new Interreg BSR -funded ReNutriWater initiative aims to close local water circuits by recirculating nutrients and water and using them in nature.
Freshwater
is vital for life and used in many aspects of daily life, but it is becoming
increasingly scarce, also in the Baltic Sea region. Droughts cause significant
economic losses and reduce the volume of freshwater, which affects agriculture,
cities, recreational areas, and society at large. To save water resources and
prevent pollution and climate change, more attention should be paid to the recirculation
of the water and nutrients.
Producing freshwater requires diverse, expensive operations, but despite of that, freshwater is often being discharged after one-time use. This wastes water reserves, energy, money, and human labor. Better processes for reclaiming water would reduce these costs considerably. However, there are specific requirements for reclaimed water quality, which must be considered. This poses some challenges for the water reclaim operations.
ReNutriWater project aims to study and present processes on how water reuse can be done in a safe and economically attractive way. This also paves the way for technology and implementation innovations. Recycled water can be used by municipalities and private entities for various purposes, such as cleaning streets, washing cars, filling fountains and ponds, watering recreational areas and plant breeding. After appropriate treatment, recovered, pathogen- and micropollutant-free water can also be safely used for domestic and drinking purposes. In this way, water management is made more sustainable in accordance with the principles of the circular economy.
The initiative has 13 project partners from five countries: Poland, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Denmark. The Chamber of Economy Polish Waterworks is the leading partner in charge of the project and a Finnish organisation Centrum Balticum is responsible for project communication of the initiative that has a total budget of 3,847,234 euros. In addition to the project partners that represent different interest groups, higher education and research institutions, local public authorities, SMEs, infrastructure and public service providers and business support organisations, there is a great number of other associated organisations which
More information about the project and contacts for the project partners can be found in the project website: Closing local water circuits by recirculating nutrients and water and using them in nature - Interreg Baltic Sea Region (interreg-baltic.eu)
