EurEau members met in Bucharest last week to discuss pertinent EU water issues that affect consumers across Europe.

With the EU currently reviewing all its water legislation, from drinking water to how treated waste water can be reused and the upcoming evaluation of the keystone Water Framework Directive, it is an important opportunity for Europe’s water professionals to agree sectoral positions.

Hosted by Apa Nova Bucharest, the three days of meetings were used by engineers, technicians and legal experts to decide how best to protect consumers and the environment.

We did not confine our discussions to the borders of Europe.

Our sector is facing many challenges. Drought is affecting us more and more, which is why we need to look at making the most of our waste water, for example, reusing it for agricultural purposes when necessary and possible. Micropollutants in our water supply and how best to prevent these through either control at source solutions or extended producer responsibility are also of critical concern to us. Of course, we need investment to make all of these work effectively.

These reasons are why we chose to focus on Sustainable Water Management for our annual plenary conference, with input from the European Commission and the OECD. As we have proved over the last 45 years of EurEau however, is that we are stronger together, and we will face these challenges together too.