Our Publications

Our world is changing rapidly and so are water services. Innovation is key to guaranteeing the affordability of safe, sustainable and resilient water services for the decades to come. Water service providers are well aware of the challenges and have identified a number of technological and non-technological areas requiring particular innovation efforts with a view to meeting the goals of the European Green Deal. 

The research needs are laid out in this report and should help policy makers in designing research and innovation programmes in a way that responds to the real needs of drinking water and waste water operators.

Water Framework Directive, Drinking Water, Reuse, microplastics, micropollutants, Extended Producer Responsibility; 2019 brought a lot of change and opportunity for the water sector. Our review of the year covers some of our work over the twelve months. 

Our sewer networks are unseen arteries beneath our feet, carrying out the vital tasks of providing sanitation and drainage. They connect our homes, offices and industrial sites to waste water treatment plant. To ensure that those networks are fit for purpose today and into the long term, we need to plan, invest, operate and maintain them accordingly. And yet the nature of our sewer networks across Europe and the challenges they face are diverse, and the pressures they are under are evolving.

This document sets out what EurEau sees as sound, but sufficiently flexible management principles to meet this duality of need.

3 million kilometres of sewers spanning Europe transport the 79-307 litres of water each of us uses every day, for drinking, cooking, washing, cleaning and hygiene to a waste water treatment plant. Read more to find out how our sewers keep us safe and healthy. 

Sewer networks are a vital part of the urban environment. They provide drainage, prevent flooding of property and protect the water environment around urban areas.

We recognise many opportunities to make urban environments more sustainable through the management of waste water flows and storm water. We also acknowledge the significant financial responsibilities that are associated with making changes to the network of collecting systems.

This document provides a short reaction to and additional thoughts on the Deloitte study into Extended Producer Responsibility, accompanied by complementary information on the water services sector.

EurEau largely supports the study’s outcome. The study builds a solid case in favour of mandatory control-at-source measures, complemented, where necessary, by other mitigation measures along the supply chain and financed through mandatory EPR schemes. The study also highlights the need to adjust the relevant EU legislation, conduct a solid cost-benefit analysis of all mitigation measures and set up an inclusive process to develop fair, proportionate and effective EPR schemes

Drinking water operators have a long history of cooperation with farmers with a view to reducing agricultural pressures on drinking water resources. 

These cooperation projects encompass various activities: from advising and training farmers to paying minimum income guarantees in case of shifting to an alternative agriculture or even a financial transaction under the condition that pesticides and fertilisers are not applied in a given area.

EurEau commissioned a study to assess the potential applicability and relevance of extended producer responsibility (EPR) in order to develop clear policy guidance to address emissions of micropollutants and microplastics from products. A key finding of the study confirms that control-at-source measures should be the starting point of mitigation measures.

Climate change will directly and significantly affect water service providers in most parts of Europe, resulting in more frequent or intense periods of drought, heat waves or rain storms, and in more places.

We will all need to be more proactive to prepare for the growing scale of the fallout. This was evident with the intense drought during the spring and summer of 2018 when it became clear that the water sector must get involved in local/regional/national crisis management.

Our sectors’ response to climate change should encompass both mitigation (reducing the impact of water services) and adaptation (become resilient to its effects) measures.

This briefing note focuses on how climate change will impact on our sector, and the ways and means to adapt to these changes based on our current knowledge.

Microplastics are widespread and have been found in marine environments, surface water, in soils, in the air we breathe, in some of the food we eat (shellfish, honey, salt), and even in beer. The number of microplastic particles in groundwater is deemed to be negligible. The potential impact of microplastics on public health and ecosystems is a growing public concern and has been high on the agenda of decision makers for some time. With growing global use of (micro-)plastics, their release to the environment is expected to increase. Our briefing note outlines our concerns, and why we want to see more control at source measures.