Efficient water management through water reuse and opportunities in the water market was among one of the main themes discussed during the Aquares Final Dissemination Event on the 16th of November 2022.
Water scarcity affects 11% of the European population. As the global population continues to grow and global temperatures continue to rise, pressures on our water resources and aquatic habitats continue to increase. So, it is only natural that many ask, how do we strike a balance to meet the water demand of the people, without compromising the health of our water resources and environments?
This is where project Aquares comes in. Nine countries have joined forces to research the concept of ‘reusing water through wastewater treatment plants’. Since the start of the project, the Energy and Water Agency has been working with countries all over Europe to identify the most efficient ways to reuse water.
This five-year project funded under Interreg Europe had its final dissemination event in Malta. The event brought together international and local speakers from various sectors of the water industry to discuss the research being carried out amongst many other topics.
The event was opened by Mr. Antonio Luengo Zapata, Regional Minister for Water Management Murcia Region in Spain. Mr. José Sandoval Moreno, General Director of Water in the Murcia Region also joined the dissemination event and stated how through the Aquares project ‘nine countries are researching how to reuse water through wastewater treatment plants.
During the event, as part of the Aquares project, the Energy and Water Agency signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Regional Ministry of Water, Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, Environment and Emergencies of the Region of Murcia, Kingdom of Spain to continue promoting the sustainability of our water resources.
Manuel Sapiano, Chief Executive Officer of the Energy and Water Agency stated that ‘’The MoU is a milestone for the Agency, as it will see experts from the Agency and the Region of Murcia work together to identify water solutions. This will help strengthen our work on water resources management and facilitate the process to improve training and research between the countries.
Mr. Antonio Luengo Zapata added that the ‘Region of Murcia has a vast experience in the treatment of water and reusing water. The signing of the MoU will help us share and exchange practices on water management and we are looking forward to working with Malta in the future to continue improving our water’.
The future possibilities of funding water reuse initiatives in an EU context were discussed in a keynote session. This was also followed by a panel discussion on water reuse within a water framework director. The event was then closed off with a second-panel discussion where several key speakers discussed the future of the Aquares project and its potential impacts on a European scale.
For more information on the project please visit https://projects2014-2020.interregeurope.eu/aquares/
