Intensive work is underway on the Waterman project. On Friday, 21.10.2024, the Polish side of the project consortium met at the headquarters of STG ERB. The meeting was devoted to activities related to pilot investments in Braniewo, issues related to the model strategy and the establishment of a local reference group, as well as a promotional campaign aimed at increasing awareness and understanding of water reuse.
We discussed current issues, problems to be solved and formal procedures related to the final determination of investment costs, the schedule for implementing the pilots and validating the system. We also agreed on the scope of work for the near future.
As a reminder - the project involves the creation of 9 pilots related to water recycling, 2 of which will be located in Braniewo, i.e. recycling water from the Braniewo public swimming pool, where pool water will be treated in a recirculation system so that it can be used for municipal purposes, and a rain garden in the parking lot at the Braniewo swimming pool.
The meeting was attended by representatives of Gdansk University of Technology, GA-MA Consulting GmbH, the Braniewo City Hall and the STG ERB.
Save the date: WaterMan study trip on “Water recycling in humid regions”
Visit Belgium and Netherlands with us on 14–16 Jan 2025. See at-scale examples of water recycling in humid regions and get to know the perspectives on the topic of different water management actors. Save the date in your calendar and stay tuned for further news!
How can we adapt local water supply in the Baltic Sea Region to climate change?
Due to climate change, periods of drought are becoming more frequent in the Baltic Sea Region and drinking water, which is mainly obtained from groundwater here, can get scarce in certain periods. To secure a stable water supply, it may become necessary to use water of different qualities and to tap into other sources of “usable water” in the future. The WaterMan project supports municipalities and water companies in adapting their strategies to these challenges by bringing water recycling into wider practice.
How is it done in other regions? See it yourself at the study trip!
As part of this support, WaterMan organizes study visits to other regions, which are frontrunners in water recycling. A first trip in April 2024 led to the semi-arid Murcia Region in Spain, where water reuse is common practice since many years and the water reuse rate was increased from 0% to 98% within the last 30 years. But also in the humid parts of the EU, water recycling is already applied at scale. In January 2025, the project offers another 3-day study trip to explore such practices in the Netherlands and Belgium .
Date: 14-16 Jan 2025 (3 full days)
Travel days: 13 Jan & 17 Jan 2025
Highlights of the programme:
Government strategies in Zealand / NL & Flanders / BE
Industry-driven water reuse in Terneuzen / NL
Mature reuse scheme for resilient supply in Torreele / BE
Greywater reuse (e.g. in Gent / BE) & commercial water recycling solutions
Roundtable talk on regulatory frameworks in Brussels
… more to come …
How can I join?
The detailed programme of the study trip is published in the beginning of November 2024. Along with it, interested parties can register until mid-November 2024. In the meantime: Block the dates in your calendar and stay tuned for further news!
Nursecoast II - study visit to the Bure Misie settlement - day2
The second day in Kościerzyna was full of constructive expert discussions on ongoing investments within the Nursecoast II project, taking place during peer-to-peer workshops, the essence of which is the sharing of diverse perspectives and the joint creation of solutions.
As a reminder, the Nursecoast II project focuses on the issue of small wastewater treatment plants related to tourism and aims to better adapt wastewater treatment systems to the high seasonality of tourist destinations and improve the condition of the coastal Baltic Sea. As part of the project activities, 6 pilots are being carried out on the above topic, including the very one in the Kościerzyna municipality, in the Bure Misie Settlement.
At today's meeting, discussions focused on the modernization of the wastewater treatment plant and optimization of processes. The pilot study is about upgrading the existing wastewater treatment plant and optimizing treatment processes, especially in the context of using digestion systems and water treatment technologies. The pilot site supplies wastewater from both household and industrial activities. The wastewater is being separated in the treatment process, which will allow more efficient management of the treatment process and better adaptation of the processes to the specifics of the different types of wastewater. The project includes the introduction of nano-bubble technology to improve the quality of wastewater oxygenation, as well as monitoring systems to better manage seasonal loads, especially during busy tourist periods. The upgrade also includes the implementation of digestion systems that will enable more efficient treatment of industrial wastewater, as well as reduce energy consumption in the treatment process. The pilot assumes that in the future the system will be able to operate in accordance with EU requirements for wastewater discharge.
The entire process is being monitored and reported, and the results will be made available in final reports, which will serve as a tool for sharing knowledge with other stakeholders, including local authorities and other wastewater treatment plants.
Nursecoast II - study visit to the Bure Misie settlement - day1
Today, together with the Nursecoast II project partners, we are working in the Koscierzyna municipality, where a study visit is currently taking place. The first item on the agenda of the event was to reach the pilot site - that is, the settlement of Bure Misie where work on an ecological wastewater treatment plant is well advanced. During the tour of the settlement we learned about the history of its establishment and today's mission. According to the rest of the agenda, we listened to presentations on the investment in the Bure Misie, the innovative nanobubbles technology and constructed wetlands (i.e. artificial wetlands designed to treat wastewater, rainwater or surface water in a way that resembles natural wetlands). Information was presented on other pilots being carried out under the project, as well as presentations by associated partners.
Zooming in on the project objectives, the activities are related to the optimization of wastewater treatment systems. The project focuses on research into the use of nano-bubbles in water treatment processes. The main idea is to improve the transfer of oxygen to water by using smaller and smaller bubbles to increase the efficiency of oxygenation. Nano-bubbles can be an effective tool, especially in systems where an increase in purification capacity is required without the need for plant reconstruction. Pilots are being conducted in various locations to adapt the technologies to specific conditions in different regions. Experiments focus on intensifying biological processes in treatment plants and testing various parameters related to aeration and water recirculation. One of the challenges of the project is the variability of hydraulic loading at different times of the year, especially during tourist seasons, where the number of visitors increases significantly. The project aims to provide technological support to local governments and engineers responsible for designing new wastewater treatment plants. Test results collected from different locations are to be used to create a toolkit to support decision-making, both at the technical and policy levels. The possibility of reusing waste water for irrigation was also analyzed, requiring additional research on water quality after treatment processes.
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D-EFFECT project kick-off conference - day 2
The second day of the D-Effect conference has come to an end. Today, as on yesterday, we worked in two parallel groups. The project consortium dealt with formal issues and substantive issues, focusing on future project activities. Attention was focused on the various work packages in the project, accompanied by a lively discussion. A calendar of upcoming project activities and meetings was also planned.
At the same time, a group of young people participated in challenging, creative classes at the “Światowid” European Meeting Center in Elblag, preparing them for public speaking and working in front of the camera, among other things. The workshops for young people were led by Karolina Pawlak and Kacper Chyla.
We ended the meeting with a summary of the youth session, where young people gave a presentation on the competencies acquired during the workshop. Then we discussed further project work together.
Kick-off conference of the D-EFFECT project
We have just completed the first day, of a two-day kick-off for the D-EFFECT-Civic society democracy lessons, bringing a youth perspective in the eu policymaking at all levels in line with Youth Strategy 2022-2027 project. The event takes place in Elblag, the headquarters of STG ERB.
The conference began with a welcome section, followed by an overview of program requirements, reporting and financial issues were addressed. Two parallel group sessions were held throughout the event. The first brought together project partners, where issues related to the goals, objectives, expected results and work schedule in D-Effect were presented, as well as those related to methodology and inspiration for local democratic youth festivals. We also dealt with formal matters and communication and promotion of the project.
The second, parallel session was dedicated to youth and dealt with democracy and civic participation. Representatives of the younger generation made creative reflections on what democracy means to them, mapped their experiences of participation and talked about the methodology of youth democratic festivals.
Tomorrow we will continue to work on the formal side and the substantive side of the project, while the youth will face further workshop challenges.
