WATER REUSE

AquaVest helps address the water scarcity challenge by developing water master plans in which the water supply and demand profiles of different stakeholders are wisely matched.

HOUSEHOLDS

It is estimated that in 2040 due to population growth the demand for drinking water from households will be 30% higher then the availability.

INDUSTRY

Industries depend on fresh water for the production of goods. Industries benefit from improved water security and consistent water qualities.

AGRISECTOR

The agrisector depends on fresh water for irrigation. The agrisector benefits from improved water security especially during dry seasons.

Avoiding fresh water scarcity

In many areas around the world, also here in The Netherlands, the supply-demand profile of fresh, clean water is changing. Lasting drought periods reduce the availability of fresh wtaer sources during the warm seasons while the demand for clean and fresh water often increases in those periods (water quentity isse). On top of this, in other areas around the world, the lack of proper sanitation infrastructure or lack of industrial wastewater treatment leads to severe pollution of fresh water sources (water quality issue).

“We must urgently scale up investments in healthy watersheds and water infrastructure, with dramatic improvements in the efficiency of water use”, said UN Secretary-General Mr. Guterres during the last World Water Day, adding that the world must anticipate and respond to climate risks at every level of water management. Moreover, wastewater should be recognised as a valuable resource.

Guiding cross-sectoral collaborations

Cross-sector water reuse can address the water scarcity issue but requires cross-sector collaboration; collaboration between the public sector (provinces, waterboards, municipalities, NGO) and the private sector (industry, the agrisector). AquaVest is well placed to guide cross-sectoral collaborations by developing master plans and investment strategies that consider the (technical, political, economic) interests of all stakeholders.

“As an executive decision support tool, AquaVest offers relevant insights in the complexity of regional water systems. It provided us, as government entity, a closer look into the water issues from the perspective of the industries. This forms a good basis for discussions on circular economy and water conservation which is increasingly important with more frequent periods of drought.” Desirée Rijnders-Huisman, senior policy advisor groundwater, Province of Noord-Brabant.