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.

rpt
rpt
rpt
rpt

Riding the Wave - Europe Forum in Turku 28.08.24

On 28-30 August Europe Forum 2024 in Turku took place for the seventh time.  The main theme of this year’s edition is “Europe’s Secure Future”. The topic also concerns the protection of water resources.

As Mr Patrick Child – Deputy Director General at DG Environment – said we are struggling with the water crisis. We have to think about water management. The topic of water is getting more attention in the European Parliament and the political priority in the Agenda is water. There are growing evidence of environmental pollution in Europe. We can see droughts which are causing huge losses, not only at the local level but also this is a regional problem. We need to reduce the use of drinking water for every purpose, e.g. industries or farmers. There is a big problem of PFAS – forever chemical in the water – and other water pollution. At some point, we will have a problem that national or EU funds will not be enough to stop the problem and there will be a need to cooperate with SME’s. That’s why projects realized within the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme are very important. Only together we can do more on the topic of sustainable use of water.

Water is used in many sectors of human life, which means we must work to secure its resources. During this year’s Forum water management challenges and solutions were discussed at our event “Riding the Wave – Sustainable Water Management in the Baltic Sea Region” organized by Centrum Balticum. The discussion was also a European Green Week Partner Event. In the discussion, the WaterMan project and three projects: Nursecoast-II, ReNutriWater and Blue Cities, presented their solutions related to sustainable water use. Projects deal with different main topics but water is a base.

Project WaterMan was represented by Marcin Żuchowski from Association of Polish Communes Euroregion Baltic, he said that:

– In northern Europe, we are used to having plenty of fresh, drinkable water available. We have an increasing demand for drinking water, that’s why WaterMan promotes the idea that different qualities of water can be used for different purposes. Treated wastewater or rainwater could be used in flushing toilets and washing cars. Building stakeholder and consumer acceptance is also an important task of our project. For most actors, the idea of water reuse is still a novelty. In the WaterMan project, we have pilot solutions which were tailored to the needs of a given partner. We need to remember that not every solution will be ok for every case. Municipalities need to analyse their situation and then look for the best solution.

It is very important to promote results and solutions to build awareness among the stakeholders.

Pani Anu Reinikainen reprezentowała projekt Nursecoast-II, który zajmuje się tematem wody trakcie sezonu turystycznego na obszarze przybrzeżnym. Testowane są różne rodzaje rozwiązań uzdatniania wody, ale oprócz działań pilotażowych prowadzone są badania społeczne i ekonomiczne.

Nursecoast II - online

Today was the first regular online meeting of the Nursecoast II project after the summer break. During the meeting, progress from activities was presented, we talked about project pilots, reports, the upcoming event in Turku - Forum Europe and potential future thematic cooperation.

Read more about the Nursecoast II project:

Nursecoast II

Turku - Eurooppa-foorumi - registration

The Association will participate at Europe Forum, where it will represent the two projects Waterman and Nursecoast during the panel discussion Riding the Wave Ensuring Water Security in the BSR Thtough Sustainable and Resilient Water Management on 28.08.24 at 14:00-14:45 (EET) The panel will focus on solutions to secure water resources and their sustainable use. We invite all interested parties to attend the event physically in Turku or online on 28-30.08.2024.

Link to register:

https://www.lyyti.fi/reg/Eurooppafoorumi_2024/en

Wednesday 28 August 14:00 - 14:45 EET

Nursecoast-II study visit in Jurmala (Latvia)

Practical solutions for wastewater treatment plants in tourist regions are the focus of the Nursecoast-II project. The next location for a study visit and conference dedicated to "Practical Solutions for Wastewater Treatment Plants in Tourist Areas of the Baltic Sea Region" was Jurmaja in Latvia. On May 7-8, 2024, participants had the opportunity to visit the Latvian partner, who plans to build two types of wetlands using both Polish and Latvian methods: vertical and horizontal flow-constructed wetlands. Adjacent to the planned site is an old wastewater treatment plant from the previous century, which will be replaced by the new, more efficient, and economical constructed wetland.

The second location for the study visit was a wastewater treatment plant where a pilot solution using the nanobubbles method will be tested. During the visit, the partner presented the current solution and the site where the new nanobubbles generator will be installed.

The day ended with a peer review workshop conducted by the German partner EUCC-D, where participants worked on questions related to economic, environmental and ecological aspects of conducting pilot projects.

The second day of the Nursecoast-II project event was divided into two workshop sessions:

  1. Peer-to-peer review of the pilot project in Latvia
  2. Co-creation in the form of a World Café

The first workshop aimed to support the implementation of the pilot project in Latvia. The association, as the project partner responsible for this task, along with an engaged expert, addressed questions regarding the optimal execution of the pilot. As with previous peer-to-peer review workshops, a report will be prepared, which the Latvian partner can use to carry out the pilot project.

The second workshop, in the form of a World Café, focused on three topics discussed by participants at different tables:

  1. Benefits
  2. Barriers
  3. Information dissemination

The facilitators introduced the topics that the participants worked on. The brainstorming sessions yielded interesting ideas from the project partners. These ideas will be collected and analyzed to improve communication and raise awareness among residents and authorities.

The second part of the event was dedicated to a hybrid conference. Participants were welcomed by the authorities of Jurmala, and Jurmala Water discussed the water situation in the region. The presentations were as follows:

Additionally, there were presentations from invited guests and associated partners, including the City of Braniewo and the Municipality of Tolkmicko. The work on pilot projects in Finland, Denmark, Poland, and Latvia was also showcased.