As cities in low- and middle-income countries expand rapidly, sanitation infrastructure struggles to keep pace, with nearly 700 million people still lacking even basic sanitation access. Lack of sanitation access leads to open defecation, overflowing pit latrines, and untreated discharge into waterways – with health impacts disproportionally felt by the poorest and most vulnerable parts of the population. But in the rush to provide safe sanitation services, are we thinking enough about their impact on the climate?

Recent research reveals that some sanitation solutions release significant methane, a greenhouse gas 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide[1]. A study conducted by USAID Urban Resilience by Building Partnerships and Applying New Evidence in WASH (URBAN WASH) projected methane emissions associated with future sanitation scenarios in urban Sub-Saharan Africa. It estimates that sanitation systems in urban sub-Saharan Africa currently contribute 3-5% of the region’s total annual anthropogenic methane emissions. This percentage is projected to increase to nearly double by 2030 if current technologies continue to be adopted (see Figure 1).

Figure 1: Estimated emissions from sanitation in urban Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) (excluding South Africa) as a proportion of total annual anthropogenic methane emissions

With limited coverage of sewerage in low- and middle- income countries, most of these emissions come from household waste containment systems, such as pits and septic tanks. As these facilities fill, they generate methane. And, once emptied, the treatment of the sludge, like the treatment of wastewater, can release significant amounts of methane. Promising solutions exist to curb these emissions during containment and treatment. This study assessed interventions across the sanitation chain – waste containment and treatment.

Some of the solutions include reducing water content in containment systems, such as by lining dry pits in areas with high groundwater tables. But methane abatement solutions are still missing for wet containment technologies. At treatment plants, solutions like composting, drying beds, or that directly capture methane during treatment, can mitigate emissions. Integrated sanitation service models like container-based sanitation, which safely captures waste in a frequently emptied container that is taken for treatment off-site, are an alternative to traditional systems. However, barriers impede scaling of these solutions.

Here are four ways we can work collaboratively to design climate-smart sanitation systems while also protecting public health:

1. Implement proven solutions where they are contextually appropriate.
2. Experiment with promising interventions to generate evidence for further scaling.
3. Innovate to address gaps in the identified abatement approaches.
4. Create a favorable enabling environment to increase awareness of the climate impact of sanitation systems and incentivise the adoption of more climate-friendly technologies and services.

Some key questions remain. For approaches that we know can eliminate, or greatly minimise, methane emissions, there are still questions about how to make them viable in low- and middle-income countries. For many of the promising approaches, we still need more empirical research to understand their emission profiles at scale. And we still need research and development of new technologies and novel approaches.

While more research is needed, the urgency of climate change means we need action today. Implementing no-regret solutions where possible, generating evidence, supporting innovation, and strengthening the enabling environment must start now.

The sanitation sector aims to eliminate public health hazards. By integrating climate-conscious planning, the sanitation sector can simultaneously become a part of the climate solution. Turning the sanitation sector from a driver to a reducer of emissions requires rethinking how we approach sanitation but can be done without sacrificing our public health goals. As access to sanitation expands across rapidly developing countries over the next 10-15 years, now is the time to bring climate into the conversation. At the moment, the sector’s greenhouse gas footprint is rapidly expanding; it is our responsibility to ensure that we do all we can to reduce and reverse this trend.

Want to learn more about designing lower-methane sanitation systems? Attend the workshop “Climate impact of sanitation technologies: Where are we headed?” on Thursday 14 December, Session 2 in Room MH1 at the IWA Water and Development Congress & Exhibition in Kigali, Rwanda on Thursday 14 December 2023 where we will explore research insights, challenges, and potential solutions to curb methane emissions from sanitation.  You can also access URBAN WASH’s recent publication on this topic here: “Managing the climate impact of human waste”.

Join us and other water and development experts who will convene to find relevant solutions tailored for low- and middle-income countries. Registration is open.

[1] Johnson, J., Zakaria, F., Nkurunziza, A. G., Way, C., Camargo-Valero, M. A., & Evans, B. (2022). Whole-system analysis reveals high greenhouse-gas emissions from citywide sanitation in Kampala, Uganda. Communications Earth & Environment, 3(1), 80.

*WS 36 Mitigating The Climate Impact Of Sanitation: Where Are We Headed? on Thursday 14 December, Session 2, Room MH1 

This week, the international community is meeting at COP28, a critical milestone in our collective effort to combat climate change. As the world turns its attention to this pivotal event, it’s essential to recognise that the fight against climate change is deeply intertwined with another global crisis: water security. According to the Global Risks Report by the World Economic Forum, which has consistently ranked water crises among the top five risks since 2015, over 90% of disasters are water-related, with climate change exerting its most significant impact through water, as highlighted in the UN Water Conference. Water is at the heart of both climate change impacts and nature crises, and sustainable finance is emerging as a crucial tool in addressing this intricate challenge. Addressing this, water regulation becomes a critical focus, especially with the urgency need of integrating water into sustainable finance conversations. 

Before we dive into the world of sustainable finance for water, let’s take a moment to highlight an important precursor event that I’ve attended: the OECD Forum on Green Finance and Investment. As we move toward COP28, this event has set the stage for critical conversations on financing solutions to address water-related challenges. The 2023 edition of the OECD Forum took place on 2-3 October 2023 in Paris, France, and was developed under the theme of ‘Accelerating Policy Action to Close the Credibility Gap’. The event aimed to underscore the urgency of green and sustainable finance in our current global landscape.  

While gathering some of the leading actors from the green finance community, the Forum passed a clear message when it comes to water: although all actors rely on water to some sort of degree, water is not appearing in climate strategies, underscoring its importance and underappreciated its related risks. One of the pressing issues to be addressed is the financial sector’s exposure to water-related physical risks. Despite the critical nature of these risks, they are not yet comprehensively integrated into current risk-assessment tools. This oversight leaves the financial system vulnerable to water-related challenges while missing out on investment opportunities tied to water solutions. 

To effectively address these crises, the financial sector’s understanding of water-related risks must be enhanced. Moreover, it’s increasingly evident that nature-related risks, including those related to water, can have significant macroeconomic implications. Failing to account for, mitigate, and adapt to these risks poses a threat to financial stability. 

Second, there is a need to expand innovative water systems and nature-based solutions (NbS). Multilateral development banks and philanthropic organisations can play a pivotal role in this landscape. Sustainable financing is emerging as a key enabler in fast-tracking these critical water and nature-focused initiatives. Their vast resources and influence can be channelled toward enhancing climate change adaptation efforts and resilience. Moreover, they can provide innovative financial tools that mitigate the risks associated with investments in these projects.  

As we explore sustainable finance initiatives, water regulation emerges as a linchpin, guiding successful projects around the world. For instance, New York City has an initiative aimed at protecting its drinking water through safeguarding its watershed ecosystem services in place since the 90’s. This initiative, which has become a model for many cities in the US, highlights significant cost savings on their financial reports, compared to a filtration plant, making it a fiscally responsible and sustainable choice. In 2016, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission issued green bonds to finance projects that enhance water supply, water quality, and wastewater management. This initiative not only raised funds sustainably but also increased investor confidence. The European Investment Bank (EIB) has issued green bonds specifically for water and wastewater projects. These bonds enable EIB to allocate funds to support sustainable water infrastructure development in Europe and beyond.  

These initiatives showcase the potential impact of sustainable finance in the water sector, ranging from improving water access in developing countries to financing large-scale infrastructure projects in water-scarce regions. They not only secure the necessary funds but also promote environmental and social sustainability. As the global climate leaders gather at COP28 starting on 30 November in Dubai, we need to remind them that the intertwined challenges of climate change and water scarcity demand innovative solutions. Sustainable finance is poised to be critical in our efforts to build a water-wise world that can thrive in the face of these challenges.

Stay tuned for insights and discussions emerging from the IWA Water and Development Congress & Exhibition in Kigali, as we explore the path to a sustainable water future by 2030. 

Dunea, a utility situated in the west of the Netherlands, is committed to providing drinking water in harmony with nature and is taking steps to become a climate smart utility. However, its drinking water supply system and the dunes under their care are under threat due to climate change, population growth, emerging pollutants, and spatial developments in a densely populated region. To face these challenges, Dunea has developed a strategy centred on climate adaptation, mitigation, and leadership.

The quality of the main water sources (the Rhine and Meuse Rivers) is deteriorating, due to contamination from agriculture, industry and households, and it gets worse in dry periods. These developments are increasingly challenging the utility’s ability to supply water continuously. For this reason, Dunea is creating a sustainable and robust drinking water system from multiple sources.

On top of this, Dunea is focusing on creating value for society and delivering positive impact through sustainable practices and partnerships. The utility works in close collaboration with multiple stakeholders, ranging from researchers and practitioners, to managers, regulators, network operators, customers, and community members to increase their positive contribution to society and the environment. Dunea believes that stakeholders and customers can make better decisions and meet their demands in a more sustainable way if they are aware of the environmental impact of their choices and are provided with useful indicators on water use and supply.

Climate change adaptation

Dunea has developed several programmes under the name ‘Drinking Water for the Future’ as a core part of the utility strategy to face future challenges. The plan contains measures both on the supply and the demand side. The core of this strategy is creating a sustainable and robust drinking water system based on multiple sources. Securing additional sources of sustainable water supplies will ensure the provision of safe and secure drinking water for our customers in the long term. For example, Dunea coordinates the Freshman project (supported by the EU LIFE programme), a pilot study which focuses on brackish groundwater as a new source of drinking water. The utility has also invested in several water-saving innovations (e.g. The 50-litre house), inspired by the worldwide 50L-home coalition. In 2021, Dunea, Arcadis and VPdelta launched 50-litre house challenges to encourage water-saving innovations where students, entrepreneurs and start-ups were asked to figure out how to meet household demands with a maximum supply of 50 liters of drinking water per person per day.

Mitigation

For a company so vulnerable to climate change it is very important to consider climate mitigation actions. Since 2017, the utility calculates its annual carbon footprint using the Operational Code 11 (PCD11), which was developed in cooperation with other nine Dutch  drinking  water  utilities and KWR Water Research Institute. This project/system provides a better understanding on the relative importance of a given carbon source compared to other carbon sources and allows to better measure progress of the ongoing CO2 reduction efforts. Thanks to this, Dunea has successfully reduced its carbon footprint from 32.034 tonnes of CO₂ in 2017 to 13.108 tonnes in 2022 without carbon offsets.  Although the utility has made great progress on reducing the carbon footprint,  it believes that reducing greenhouse emissions is critical to continue working in harmony with nature and inspire people and partners. To ensure sustainable operations without contributing to climate change, Dunea has set an ambitious goal of becoming a climate-neutral utility by 2025. Some targets to achieving this include electrifying the entire vehicle fleet, and implementing sustainable heating systems. Also, the utility has been working on implementing energy saving measures including investing in renewable energy sources to meet future targets.

In 2020, Dunea set up a subsidiary company called Dunea Warmte & Koude to accelerate the Dutch energy transition by utilising the thermal energy stored in our river water transportation pipelines to cool or heat buildings. This reduces the dependence on energy from fossil fuels. An example of such an application can be found in the attached Case Study (page 2).

Communication with citizens

Given current population growth and urbanisation trends, the utility actively involves a range of stakeholders in their operations. Dunea is expanding its traditional focus on providing 24/7 drinking water supply to a wider role in society as a whole. As a result, we are collaborating closely with stakeholders. To achieve impact management, Dunea has a five-year programme centered around an up-to-date value creation model that places increased emphasis on essential societal connections to water-related fields. The utility partners with various stakeholders, including universities, municipalities, regional water boards and customers, to develop water solutions which contribute to solving greater societal challenges, such as adaptation to climate change (e.g. heat stress), prevention of salinisation of surface water and groundwater, biodiversity protection and more. Additionally, Dunea is working on a roadmap to accelerate sustainability in the sector by sharing costs, knowledge, and best practices.

Lessons learned

• Since drinking water and nature conservation are primary services that are closely linked to many Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), societal trends are increasingly affecting the utility’s tasks. Dunea is becoming more aware of these trends, including the relevant scenarios, and developing strategies to become more adaptive and agile in response to change.
• Dunea is eager to contribute to solutions for societal challenges and has numerous ideas and initiatives. However, sometimes these conflict with the utility’s capacity to create the highest value for society, given the tradition of operating at the lowest possible costs.
• In adopting Impact Management, Dunea is entering into uncharted territory. There are many unknowns regarding the links between the utility’s actions and their environmental and social impacts on society. Consequently, Dunea must engage in additional and long-term iterative learning.

References

Dunea Case Study WBCSD

Submit your Utility Case Story

Feeling inspired by this story? Learn more about the IWA Climate Smart Utilities Initiative or contact us at climate@iwahq.org

Traditionally, wastewater treatment plants are high-energy consumers. Water and wastewater treatment processes account for 25-40% of the municipality’s electricity bill. The objective of the wastewater treatment plant at Marselisborg in the city of Aarhus, Denmark, has been to optimise all processes and generate surplus energy to meet the needs of all wastewater treatment facilities in the region. Additionally, in 2006, there were 14 smaller plants catering to half of the population consisting of several hundred thousand people. These smaller plants have since been consolidated into just four larger plants, with the Marselisborg wastewater treatment plant being the largest among them.

Aarhus Vand has converted wastewater into green energy at the Marselisborg wastewater treatment plant. Over the past decade, the plant has achieved an impressive 25% reduction in power consumption. Simultaneously, energy production has increased, resulting in the plant now producing 50% more electricity than it consumes. This surplus energy is sufficient to meet the energy needs of the entire water cycle, encompassing drinking water production, distribution, and the collection and treatment of wastewater.

To achieve these remarkable outcomes, Aarhus Vand has implemented various energy-saving technologies. These include an advanced SCADA control system, a new turbo compressor, sludge liquor treatment based on the anammox process, and optimisation of the fine bubble aeration system. These initiatives have collectively reduced power consumption by approximately 1 GWh per year. Furthermore, Aarhus Vand has significantly improved energy production through the implementation of energy-efficient biogas engines through combined heat & power (CHP), resulting in an increase in electricity production of approximately 1 GWh per year. Additionally, Aarhus has installed a heat exchanger with the aim of supplying surplus heat to the district heating grid, representing around 2 GWh per year.

The optimised operations at the Marselisborg wastewater treatment plant have proven to be an efficient and effective measure contributing to a low-carbon city and circular economy. This success story showcases Aarhus Vand’s commitment to the IWA’s Climate Smart Utilities initiative, highlighting their dedication to sustainable practices in the global water sector.

Mitigation actions

As one of the leading companies in the Danish water industry, Aarhus Vand operates in the field of drinking water and wastewater treatment in the city and the surrounding rural areas, working with the treatment, distribution, and collection of wastewaters. The utility works closely with the Aarhus Municipality to execute a wide variety of environmental and urban development projects which take climate changes into consideration. One such project is the Marselisborg wastewater treatment plant, which over the past 10 years has achieved approximately a 25% reduction in power consumption while simultaneously increasing its energy production. This wastewater treatment plant currently produces 50% more electricity than it consumes. Through the optimisation of their systems, the Marselisborg Wastewater Treatment Plant is now able to not only reduce its energy consumption by approximately 1 GWh/year, which corresponds to about 25 percent in total savings, but it has also transformed energy consumption into an energy production cycle.

Aarhus believes there is significant potential in wastewater treatment, with the ability to both generate energy from wastewater and ensure proper treatment. The utility currently treats the wastewater generated by the city’s inhabitants to a high standard, allowing for its discharge into Aarhus’ inner-city harbour. The treated wastewater is of such good quality that it is even safe for swimming, thanks to the efforts of Aarhus Vand and their commitment to effective wastewater management.

Resource recovery is another approach the utility employs in its efforts to mitigate climate change. Currently, the Marselisborg treatment plant focuses on the recovery of phosphorus. Phosphorus is considered a scarce resource and plays a vital role in sustaining all life on Earth. The recovery of phosphorus from wastewater is a crucial element in preserving global phosphate reserves. It is estimated that wastewater recovery could potentially meet 20% of the world’s current phosphorus demand, highlighting its significant contribution to resource sustainability and circularity.

Communication with citizens

Globalisation is a key focus area in Aarhus Vand’s business strategy leading up to 2025. The objective is to share our solutions with the world and bring back new knowledge to our home base. Aarhus Vand fulfils this role as a water ambassador, water supplier, and water innovator.

Aarhus Vand actively facilitates the export of Danish water technology through collaborations with the Water Technology Alliance (WTA) in various regions, including the USA, Europe, and the Middle East. As a water supplier, the utility leverages its expertise to support consultants and contractors in delivering high-quality utility services. Additionally, as a water innovator, Aarhus Vand contributes to global innovation and development in the water sector.

Marselisborg Renseanlæg

Lessons learned

• It is energy and cost efficient to treat wastewater at larger plants
• Operating fewer but larger plants decreases operation and maintenance costs
• Implementation of energy-saving technologies is both financially and environmentally a good investment
• There is a great potential in wastewater treatment and resource exploitation

Submit your Utility Case Story

Feeling inspired by this story? Learn more about the IWA Climate Smart Utilities Initiative or contact us at climate@iwahq.org

Urban water management is one of the services most affected by the impacts of climate change, threatening the capacity of service providers to deliver safe water, protect rivers and oceans, as well as protect people and assets from extreme water events such as flooding. 

Water, sanitation and urban drainage utilities can contribute up to 15% to their cities’ greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Therefore, utilities are significant actors in the path towards decarbonisation and net zero. 

With urgent action needed on mitigation, the International Water Association is launching a new webinar series, organised by IWA’s Climate Smart Utilities Initiative in partnership with DANVA, to raise awareness of key sources of GHG emissions from the urban water cycle and showcase pioneering net zero solutions.

With a focus on progress in the Nordics, the series will provide an overview of GHG emissions from wastewater treatment and the relevance of process emissions of nitrous oxide and methane. It will highlight progress made through the Danish national monitoring programmes for nitrous oxide and methane, share actions by progressive utilities and regulators, and provide a space for discussion and collaboration on mitigation. 

The series, structured in four webinars, aims to empower participants to understand where to focus, to develop insights into the monitoring and reduction of GHG emissions and to improve their GHG accounting methodologies and considerations.  

The first webinar ‘Towards a Climate Neutral Water Sector: the Nordic Experience’ takes place on 2 May. The webinar will focus on the main sources of emissions in the urban water cycle. The webinar will also present a recent collaborative document on the Nordic Principles for moving towards a climate-neutral water sector, focusing on GHG accounting approaches and on the importance of developing a common understanding. It will finish with a utility showcase by Bergen Vann, a progressive water utility from Norway that will share exemplary actions. Sign up for free here.  

The second and third webinars will focus on methane and nitrous oxide emissions respectively, sharing learnings from the collaborative Danish national monitoring programmes which have helped drive progress. The webinars will present quantification approaches, findings and successes in emissions reduction to date. The discussion will explore what has driven such progress and how these efforts have led to sustained action and motivated utilities worldwide in monitoring and reducing their emissions. 

The final webinar of the series will offer a systems view. Looking beyond GHG emissions, we will consider the role played by the water sector within planetary boundaries. This will showcase innovative life cycle carbon assessment which is being used in decision-making processes related to resource recovery.  

We invite practitioners, engineers, consultants, students and researchers, operators, and carbon accounting professionals to join the series and engage with IWA’s Climate Smart Utilities initiative to share knowledge and exchange practices for a climate neutral water sector. 

Save the dates!

Towards a Climate Neutral Water Sector: the Nordic Experience

2 May 13:00 BST, 14:00 CET  

Monitoring and mitigating methane: Danish lessons for global action  

26 June  

Monitoring and mitigating nitrous oxide: Danish lessons for global action   

12 September 

Climate Smart Water Futures within Planetary Boundaries  

3 October 

IWA’s Climate Smart Utilities Initiative 

Stakeholders interested in improving their climate resilience while contributing to significant and sustainable reduction of carbon emissions are encouraged to engage with IWA’s Climate Smart Utilities initiative. The initiative aims to deliver value to utilities and inspire the wider water professional community. 

The initiative offers several opportunities, such as: 

• A community of practice around adaptation and mitigation to climate change to support bridging science and practice and trigger the necessary cultural shifts and actions 
• A web platform an online space to share resources and contribute to the wider dissemination of the change agenda 
• A utility leaders peer-to-peer exchange programme to drive decision making towards Climate Smart 
• A Recognition Programme and Climate Smart Vision to inspire and increase awareness & encourage utilities to include climate change in their agendas 

Shanghai Chemical Industry Park (SCIP) is located in the south of Shanghai, north of Hangzhou Bay, with a managed area of 29.4 km². It is one of the largest integrated petrochemical bases in China. Shanghai Chemical Industry Park Sino-French Water Development Co., Ltd. provides water supply and wastewater treatment services to SCIP, ensuring quality utility services for all the customers in the park.

In 2021, SCIP established a sustainable development task force to address climate change, in line with the Chinese government and shareholder policy requirements. As a provider of industrial and desalinated water in the park, the utility completed the renovation of two water supply loop systems to ensure a stable water supply and  diversify its water portfolio. SCIP has also adopted a smart meter network system where over 200 automatic reading meters and water quality & quantity online sensors are currently in use.

To reduce carbon emissions, the utility has installed photovoltaic panels to generate power for administration buildings, including 0.8MW photovoltaic panels at the industrial water plant with an estimated carbon reduction of 800 tons of CO2 per year. SCIP also promotes the development of the water industry’s response to climate change through technical seminars and training sessions, both online and offline, to share experiences and present good practices. As a water and wastewater utility with a strong sense of social responsibility, SCIP takes an active role in addressing climate change.

SCIP is made up of many enterprises but lacks a uniform water supply and sewage treatment system. Most of the companies there get water from the surrounding residential waterworks, which necessitates the construction of a long water pipeline, high water supply costs, and a disruption to the surrounding residential water supply. Initially, the wastewater plant was not built to have a low carbon footprint. Since most of treated wastewater is industrial, the energy consumption of SCIP is higher compared to municipal wastewater. The lack of green energy use, high carbon emissions from electricity consumption, and the carbon emissions associated with the original process pose a threat to the environment.

Adapting to climate change

As the industrial and desalinated water supply service provider in the park, the utility has completed the renovation of two water supply loop systems in 2019 to ensure stable water supply and diversify the water portfolio. Since 2020, the park has adopted a smart network system that uses over 200 automatic reading meters and water quality & quantity online sensors, along with SUEZ’s patented real-time hydraulic model, entitled Aquadvanced, which is being used to give early warnings and predictions of the water network’s operational status, monitor water loss and non-revenue water, and ensure stable industrial and desalinated water supply.

To encourage water conservation, SCIP established a corporate water-saving incentive policy in 2020. A petrochemical company in SCIP saved 350,000m³ industrial water annually, thus receiving a preferential discount on water price.

SCIPs efforts around wastewater services considers collection, treatment, and monitoring of all types of wastewater. With almost 200 km of water supply and drainage pipelines, the utility ensures that treated wastewater discharged into water bodies does not have a negative environmental impact. The wastewater treatment plant has been equipped with online instrumentations and a team of 50 analysts to monitor water quality at all times.

To cope with dramatic fluctuations in water quality and quantity for upstream customers due to climate change, a 50,000m3 buffer, emergency tank, and by-pass system are in place at the utility’s treatment plant. SCIP believes that equipment maintenance is an important pillar in ensuring compliance and stable operation of the plant. Therefore, they established a comprehensive ISO process for maintenance planning, reviewing, and updating, as well as the using a professional CMMS operation and maintenance system for asset and work order management.

Mitigation actions

SCIP focuses on initiatives to reduce carbon emissions. The industrial water plant of the utility has installed photovoltaic panels to power administration buildings, reducing approximately 800 tons of CO2 emissions per year.

The wastewater plant’s aeration system contributes significantly to carbon emissions. At the end of 2021, SCIP began piloting a scheme to replace surface aeration with bottom aeration, resulting in a 40% reduction in carbon emissions from the aeration system (equivalent to about 700 tons of CO2e per year). The utility also uses Nature-based Solutions (NbS) to reduce carbon emissions by an estimated 2800 tons of CO2e per year by discharging tail water from the treatment plant into the SCIP’s ecological wetland. Lastly, SCIP adopts a circular economy approach by recovering resources and reducing the amount of waste generated. For example, dewatered sludge is used  for landfill at construction sites, and the sludge from wastewater treatment is incinerated for electricity generation.

Communication with citizens

As a socially responsible water and wastewater utility company, SCIP conducts environmental seminars that have attracted over 2,000 industry professionals in the past 10 years, providing a great platform for technical and business exchanges. The utility organises technical seminars and training sessions online and offline in order to share experiences and best practices to address climate change.

In 2022, the utility hosted several workshops on carbon reduction and carbon accounting in the water industry to disseminate relevant knowledge. The achievements in water digitalisation have been recognised with the Smart Project Leading Award in 2018 and the Smart Park Excellent Application Case in 2020 awarded by SCIP. As a result, the company’s success has become a model for the water industry.

SCIP also collaborates with academic institutions such as the Carbon Neutral Research Institute of Tongji University and the East China University of Science and Technology on climate change and carbon reduction projects. It has also signed a collaboration with the Shanghai Academy of Environmental Sciences on carbon field measurement of wastewater treatment plants.

For more information on this climate smart story, contact: Zhou Min

Lessons learned

• Large chemical parks are suitable for building centralised water supply and drainage facilities
• Remote water meters in smart pipe networks can save time and resources while providing an effective response to incidents
• Photovoltaic solutions are a great option for companies in the water industry to reduce their carbon footprint and generate green energy
• Treatment processes should be updated in line with technological advancements
• Positive experiences need to be shared in order to promote best practices more widely

 Useful Links

• https://iwa-network.org/projects/climate-smart-water-utilities/
• https://www.suez-asia.com/en-cn/our-offering/success-stories/our-references/integrated-water-treatment-service-in-scip
• https://www.suez-asia.com/en-cn/our-offering/success-stories/our-references/scip-wetland-project

In 2019, the city of Prague set out a plan for becoming a carbon-neutral metropolis. Following the example of other leading European cities, Prague adopted a ground-breaking city council decision with a goal of reducing CO₂ emissions in the entire municipal area by 45% before 2030. It has been estimated that water-related energy use is equivalent to 13% of the nation’s electricity consumption. CO₂ embedded in the nation’s water is 5% of all carbon produced nationwide (an estimation based on research conducted in the USA). Pražské vodovody a kanalizace a.s. (PVK) as the largest water and waste-water utility in the Czech Republic supplies drinking water for Prague and part of the Central Bohemian Region. Together with Pražská vodohospodářská společnost a.s. (PVS), we are looking for ways to minimise impact on the environment and improve water management, with resilient water infrastructure, less water loss, and using wastewater and resource recovery.

Adapting to climate change

To improve water management and further adapt to climate change, Prague Water diversified its portfolio by investing in an extensive modernisation of one of its treatment plants (Podoli) which until 2018 only served as a substitute plant. The utility also included in their treatment process another layer of filtration through granular activated carbon which enhances the removal of pesticides and their metabolites to supply drinking water of the highest standards.

Drinking Water Production Facility Podolí Prague

Prague Water, in its pursuit of reducing water loss within the water distribution network, has implemented innovative technologies such as satellite leak detection or Enigma 3M – an advanced fault detection system that uses noise sensors. In 2021, Prague Water launched a new leak detection project which uses an extension of the SWIM (Smart Water Integrated Management) system. This system detects leakages using artificial intelligence. Thanks to this, Prague Water managed to reduce water loss from 34% in 2000 down to 12% in 2021.

The utility is committed to reducing water consumption and continues to explore other sources of water for non-portable use. We are currently working on an EU-funded project ‘Wider Uptake’ to evaluate opportunities for treated wastewater use for non-drinking purposes such as irrigation and maintenance of urban greenery, surface washing and cooling the capital territory during the hottest summer days.

The utility’s efforts to minimise its impact on the environment also include resource recovery. Currently, the most valuable resource recovered by Prague water is biogas generated from sludge in thermophilic anaerobic digesters, which is used to produce electricity and heat for the operation of the Wastewater Treatment Plant. However, studies are currently being carried out to evaluate other resource recovery opportunities, such as heat recovery from wastewater.

Mitigation

In 2022, Prague Water launched a company-wide project with the main goal of achieving net operational carbon neutrality by 2035.

To achieve this target, ISO Standard ČSN ISO 14064-1 was chosen as the most suitable method since the utility has been certified according to other ISO standards. Following this, Prague Water has developed the method for Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 (as defined by the GHG Protocol). These documents include a detailed description of data that need to be collected and methods of carbon footprint calculation. To ensure the most accurate results taking into consideration the local conditions, the utility has also set up a partnership with the Department of Sustainability and Product Ecology (DSPE) – under the University of Chemistry and Technology – to share knowledge on carbon footprint calculation.

Prague Water has identified several fields of operational activity with great potential for GHG emission reduction. A GHG emission reduction action plan to reduce the utility’s carbon footprint has been prepared. The utility recognised that the largest percentage of its emissions is represented by process emissions generated during wastewater treatment. We plan to launch a measurement campaign targeted at N2O escaping from biological lines into the atmosphere and by using mathematical modelling based on data to adjust the aeration regime and minimise emissions. GHG emissions related to electricity consumption from the grid ranked second. To minimise energy-related emissions, the utility will consider primary measures aimed at maximising energy efficiency. Currently, we are exploring the possibility of using energy stored in wastewater – residual heat from treated wastewater and blowers, energy recovery from digested sludge and screenings and maximisation of biogas yields. Prague water has also begun installing photovoltaic power plants in selected buildings. An additional step of Prague Water’s net zero journey is the reduction of the carbon footprint of its vehicle fleet; since 2017, Prague Water has been systematically transitioning to CNG vehicles with its goal to operate 122 CNG vehicles by 2025.

Communication with citizens

Prague water is committed to creating value for all their stakeholders by actively participating in sustainable urban projects of the city of Prague. Awareness and education are our core objectives. Activities such as guided tours for the public, regular open days of the water treatment plant, and competitions focused on water and the environment for schools are an important aspect of our awareness-raising campaigns.

As active contributors to conferences within the Czech Republic and internationally, Prague Water has been actively expressing its passion and vision for carbon neutrality and sharing ideas on how to calculate and mitigate its carbon footprint. We have published the first detailed data about operational carbon in the Czech Republic at local conferences and magazines.

Lessons learned

Carbon footprint mitigation is like any other new great challenge – the hardest part is the beginning. At the start of the project, Prague water did not have any idea of how to calculate the carbon footprint, where to start, what method to use, or mitigation measures. Through the knowledge gained from the IWA Climate Smart Utilities Recognition Programme, they have been able to develop and implement methodologies and strategies and we are happy to be able to share it with the community of water professionals in the Czech Republic and around the world. The planet is in a climate crisis, and it is our duty to act and motivate others to do the same.

For more information on this climate smart story, contact: Martin Srb

Useful Links and References

The Capital City of Prague. Prague 2030 Climate Plan. Prague’s mission towards zero emissions. [Online] 2021. [Citace: 14. 12 2021.] https://klima.praha.eu/en/the-climate-plan-at-a-glance.html.

Griffiths-Sattenspiel, Bevan a Wilson, Wendy. The Carbon Footprint of Water. Portland : River Network, 2009.

https://www.pvk.cz/vse-o-vode/pitna-voda/

https://www.pvk.cz/aktuality/voda-z-podolske-vodarny-opet-miri-do-verejne-site/

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There is hope for a better water future following the first UN Water Conference in almost 50 years. Thousands of participants, governments, representatives of the UN agencies and diverse stakeholders, including civil society and business leaders, young people, mayors, scientists and more, became united in a global call for action during the UN Water Conference in New York on 20-24 March 2023. 

The conference also brought together young people from across the world, and they literally got a seat at the negotiating table. Global youth rose to the occasion to ensure that their voices were heard. During the conference I had the pleasure to support the IWA-Grundfos Youth Action for SDG6 delegation which included 14 young water professionals advocating for a water-wise future. Many of them joined the conference as speakers, panellists, session organisers, delegates, and rapporteurs. It was a marathon for them.  

According to the Global Youth Movement for Water, around a quarter of the side events hosted at the UN headquarters had selected youth as one of their target audiences, while many of the events that took place both inside and outside of the UN premises were organised by or with youth-led organisations, including the five interactive dialogues and four special events which saw the involvement of youth-led organisations as speakers or rapporteurs. 

This level of engagement is unprecedented in high-level arenas, especially for a UN conference. At the same time, it is a realisation of the great mobilisation power that young people have and an official recognition that their participation is indeed needed to solve the significant challenges that our world is facing. It demonstrated that “water is and shall remain everyone’s business” as UN-Water Chair and Director General of the International Labour Organization Gilbert F. Houngbo affirmed. 

Although this meaningful youth engagement is strongly desired, it is not something that is easily achieved. Different perceptions are still in conflict, and one of the key challenges is finding a way to ensure that all voices are included in decision-making processes. This challenge is even more complex when we add climate change and all the other environmental issues that are causing uncertainty in our society. Managing all these instabilities requires collaboration and partnerships at local, regional, national, transboundary, and intergenerational scales. 

The Water Action Agenda, the key outcome of the Conference, seems to capture what is needed to achieve a sustainable and water-wise world. Of the 700 commitments that are included in the agenda, more than 400 include youth in its scope. Tajikistan, for instance, pledged to amplify the voices of youth in global processes, aiming to use the Dushanbe Water Process as a follow-up mechanism to the UN 2023 Water Conference. Grundfos, alongside 16 other private sector companies, shared commitments to invest more than $11 billion in innovation and youth engagement over the next five years.  

The bold commitments of the UN Member States also mobilise financial support for water action globally. For example, the EU committed to improve access to drinking water and/or sanitation by 2030 for 70 million people. The EU will also support its Member States with €20 million in funding to accelerate the deployment of wastewater surveillance for COVID-19. The Asian Development Bank pledged to invest $11 billion in the water sector in the Asia-Pacific Region and $100 billion in the water sector globally by 2030. 

The commitments bought together multilateral development banks, governments, non-governmental organisations, and international water and youth platforms. They create momentum that is much needed to accelerate progress and tackle the global water crisis. We know we are lagging behind. We know the obstacles. Now we have to make sure that the commitments can strengthen intergenerational partnerships, support meaningful youth engagement and ultimately deliver SDG 6 by 2030.  

The past 

Global water leaders are meeting in New York on 22-24 March 2023 after 46 long years since the first UN Water Conference held in Mar del Plata, Argentina, in 1977. The conference report, also known as the Mar Del Plata Action Plan, identified the critical role that water resources play in improving human social and economic livelihood. The Plan also noted the need to implement specific and concerted actions for solutions at national, regional and global scale, without which a better quality of life and promotion of human dignity could not be assured. 

Following the conference, the first UN Water Decade from 1981–1990, also known as the International Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Decade (IDWSSD), is estimated to have granted access to safe drinking water for over a billion people globally. However, many professionals were of the view that the IDWSSD failed to achieve its goals, mainly due to its broad approach. The issues were generalised and addressed without taking into account regional, national and community differences. For instance, the Action Plan was not based on a holistic approach and did not consider the role of local communities. It mainly focused on the contributions of national governments, which as a result gave governments the leverage to either choose to go by the Plan or not. Lastly, the Action Plan did not come with targets or timelines, which made the assessment of progress difficult.  

Conversely, the IDWSSD cannot be said to have been a total failure because it brought a much-needed spotlight on the importance of clean water and adequate sanitation for all. In that decade, the role of national governments in investing in the provision of clean water and adequate sanitation was highlighted; a role that was previously reserved mainly for regional and international development organisations. In that same decade, the idea of access to clean water and adequate sanitation being a human right was birthed, and the call was sustained through to 2010 when the UN resolved to formally recognise the human right to water and sanitation. Additionally, metrics for measuring progress in terms of water and sanitation access were initiated. Significant progress was recorded both in knowledge generation and practice. Several initiatives came into force with inspiration from the Mar del Plata Action Plan, including, but not limited to, the 1992 International Conference on Water and the Environment, the 2015 Millennium Development Goals Agenda that had a goal dedicated to water, the World Water Day initiative, and the 2016 Sustainable Development Goals Agenda, which has a goal dedicated to water and sanitation, with associated clear targets. 

The present

Currently, efforts are being focused on the Sustainable Development Goal on water and sanitation (SDG 6). Progress on SDG6 is slow, undermining the human right to water and sanitation. Organisations have become increasingly aware of the silos that exist in the water and sanitation sector and are developing programmes to ensure cross-sectoral approaches in implementing solutions. The mapping of stakeholders has taken an inclusive approach over time with women, youth, marginalised groups, and users being consciously included in various levels of engagement spanning from decision-making, design, and implementation of solutions. Lots of innovations and initiatives, both at the global and local scale, are being churned out to solve the water and sanitation challenges. Examples are bio-digester toilets, capturing water from the atmosphere, performance improvement contracts, water safety plans, WASH incubator and accelerator programmes, digital water systems, open access to WASH publications, and more. This shows that there is a lot of effort being directed towards access to clean water and safe sanitation compared to the first water decade. Interestingly and progressively so, the WASH sector is holding itself to the highest standard and wants to make sure that the SDG 6 targets are met on time, hence the call for actionable commitments to be made in the midterm review of the water action decade. 

The future

After this midterm review of the water action decade, all the other sectors will be monitoring the WASH sector to see how progress is being accelerated so they can learn from best practices. To make sure the sector stays on track, I outline some ideas that can be explored. 

Implementation Drive

As mentioned above, there have been many useful innovations in the sector over time. To achieve significant progress, attention should be given to the implementation of numerous innovations. At this stage, adequate resources and policies need to be developed to create a conducive environment for the execution of projects that transfer these innovations and inventions from shelved prototypes to minimum viable products and beyond. This will ensure that the solutions are deployed at the local level. 

WASH–Employment Nexus

Currently, there are still high numbers of people who do not have access to clean water and safe sanitation, and there are multiple challenges related to water conservation due to climate change and human-related activities. On the other hand, unemployment is still one of the longstanding global challenges of the world that is threatening the national security of several countries. It is necessary to understand the volume and the kind of workforce needed to reach the SDG 6 targets by 2030. Once that is done, the next step will be to design academic, vocational, and technical programmes targeted at the unemployed population. Also, there is the need to approach the provision of water and sanitation services from a sustainable self-financing angle, which allows the services to pay for their maintenance and expansion. The WASH crisis provides the avenue for job creation and the employment crisis provides the workforce. What are currently missing are the right training, resources, and political will to harness the benefits of the WASH-employment nexus. If this is done successfully, a larger part of society will be working on specific sustainable initiatives improving access to WASH services for more people. 

Global Accountability System

Authorities responsible for the implementation of WASH policies, programmes, and projects need to be held accountable on their output and their goals and objectives. The current regime of individual states self-reporting on the SDGs does not work. National governments should be encouraged to set their own self-paced and characteristic objectives, but there must be an independent global system to monitor progress while taking into account national limitations and differences.  An independent accountability system can expose mismanagement of WASH-related resources and low levels of commitment and dedication by governments on the water action agenda. This accountability system could go a long way to help donor agencies and investors to know where to donate or invest for maximised societal and environmental impact. A good example is how the International Monetary Fund uses the debt to GDP ratio and other fiscal indicators to assess countries. I believe that there should be a similar system that will compel countries to prioritise universal access to clean water and safe sanitation.

Cover image: ©UNDESA. In the picture: Mr. Li Junhua, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs and the Secretary-General of the UN 2023 Water Conference; Mr. Henk Ovink, Special Envoy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands for Water; and Mr. Sulton Rahimzoda, Special Envoy of the President of Tajikistan for Water.

The treatment of urban wastewater is a critical process for ensuring the protection of public health and the environment. As such, the European Union (EU) has recently published a draft revision of the established regulations to guide the management of wastewater and align it with its energy and circular economy strategies – the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive.

As we continue to learn more about the potential environmental impacts of wastewater treatment, one area of concern that has emerged in recent years is the issue of process gas emissions in wastewater treatment plants. Process gas emissions, including nitrous oxide (N₂O) and methane (CH₄) from wastewater treatment plants have negative impacts on the environment, including contributing to greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, and climate change. Nitrous oxide and methane have global warming potential close to 300 and 28 times higher than that of carbon dioxide (CO₂), respectively.

Technology and application experts such as AM-Team, Bentley, Cobalt Water Global, Jacobs, Ragn-Sells, Royal HaskoningDHV, Suez, Unisense, Variolytics, Veolia and Xylem have developed a Position Paper calling for the monitoring of process gas emissions in wastewater treatment plants to be included in the Directive’s proposed revision. By establishing standards for the monitoring and mitigation of process gas emissions, the EU can ensure that wastewater treatment is carried out in an environmentally sustainable and socially responsible way. In this position paper, these technology and application experts bring the knowledge and references needed for building credibility on the viability of this monitoring requirement. This opinion invites all stakeholders involved to connect and learn on the technical and commercial availability of process gas monitoring solutions.

We urge policymakers and stakeholders to carefully consider the recommendations presented in this Paper, and to take necessary actions to revise the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive to address the issue of process gas emissions. By doing so, we can ensure that wastewater treatment plants are operating in a way that protects public health and the environment, now and for generations to come.

More detailed and technical information can be found in the Position Paper drafted by a coalition of technology and application experts, including: AM-Team, Bentley, Cobalt Water Global, Jacobs, Ragn-Sells, Royal HaskoningDHV, Suez, Unisense, Variolytics, Veolia and Xylem.