Aqua Publica Europea

💧Key takeaways from the Aqua Publica Europea & Eau de Paris joint seminar: Protecting water resources means protecting health (and lower water bills)💧 🌍Effective upstream protection of water resources from pollution sources is the most effective and less expensive way to ensure high water quality. The new #DrinkingWaterDirective requires to prioritise preventive measures to mitigate pollution risks at the catchment level, establishing a beneficial synergy with the #WaterFrameworkDirective. Many good practices already exist, demonstrating that this approach can enhance higher water (and soil) 🌿💦 quality, while reducing treatment costs and, ultimately, the water bill. 🔎These are the main conclusions of the seminar “PROTECTING WATER RESOURCES: TIME TO ACT!”, co-organised by Aqua Publica Europea and Eau de Paris in the French Capital on 29 November. The event brought together over 200 participants and featured contributions form experts, elected officials, representatives from European and national institutions, NGOs, and public water utilities. 📄The event report,📸 photo album, and 📊 presentations are now available on our website. Explore them here: https://bit.ly/4gZnNLB

📑The report from our recent webinar "Reducing Water Loss: Best Practices in Non-Revenue Water Management" is now available for download!   This webinar, co-organised by APE and WaterLinks Management Council Inc.—a regional organisation dedicated to implementing capacity-building programmes for water and sanitation operators in Asia—was held in November. It explored experiences and best practices in managing non-revenue water, featuring contributions from our members Pidpa/AquaFlanders (Belgium) and Águas de Gaia E.M. S.A. (Portugal), as well as from SUEZ India. 📚 The full report can be downloaded below, and all presentations can be accessed here: https://bit.ly/3Dgg39o

Very powerful and passionate speech by rapporteur for the European Water Resilience Strategy Initiative, MEP Thomas Bajada, during yesterday European Parliament's Plenary debate on the right to water 👏

📢 Our December newsletter is out!❄️ Read the latest updates: ☑Key takeaways from the APE & Eau de Paris joint seminar on protecting water resources ☑The evolving mission of public water operators: from service providers to water cycle managers ☑Innovative strategies for water scarcity: Our contribution to the Metropolis Solution Lab 5, a global network of major cities and metropolitan areas ☑Advocating for water quality standards: The European Parliament agrees to start swiftly the negotiations on new quality standards for water after calls from APE and other organisations ☑Our latest Water Erasmus exchanges: Reports and presentations available to download   📖 Read the full newsletter here: https://bit.ly/4gfG9Yp

Last week, Aqua Publica Europea had the opportunity to meet with MEP Michael Hadjipantela (EPP - Group of the European People's Party) to address one of Europe’s most critical challenges: water scarcity. 💧🌍 🗨️ The discussion covered a range of key topics, including the impacts of water scarcity, strategies for sustainable water management, and effective water-saving practices. We also explored opportunities for collaboration with the relevant services and departments of the Republic of Cyprus. This meeting is part of Aqua Publica Europea’s ongoing engagement with MEPs from across the political spectrum to share our policy recommendations on #waterresilience. 💦 Our efforts in this area include the recent launch of our publication 📘 Resilience in action: Public water operators’ strategies to tackle water scarcity and drought - https://bit.ly/3RdKFvz, which was presented at the European Parliament in February - https://bit.ly/3UKUynP.

Today, members of Aqua Publica Europea convened for a session of our internal Working Group on Drinking Water Quality 🚰 to review key updates from the European Commission’s Expert Group on the Drinking Water Directive (#DWD). Chaired by Abis Pier Paolo (Acquedotto Pugliese SpA, IT), the meeting addressed topics, such as #PFAS, leakage, microplastics, and the implications of Article 8 of the DWD. Insightful presentations by Eric Chauveheid (VIVAQUA, BE) on TFA - Trifluoroacetic acid, and Sébastien Ronkart (Société wallonne des eaux (SWDE), BE) on the state of drinking water in Wallonia provided the discussions with practical perspectives and technical expertise. The group also explored the next steps for aligning with the latest developments under the DWD and ensuring continued progress toward improved drinking water quality. 💧 A special thank you to Pier Paolo Abis for chairing the meeting, to our presenters for their contributions, and to all participants for their questions and active participation!   📘Today's presentations are available in the members-only section of our website - https://bit.ly/49yXyJ8

  💧 Aqua Publica Europea Vice-President FRANCESCO MASCOLO addressed the critical issue of water affordability and argued that water affordability should be viewed not only as a ‘water issue’ but also as a broader social protection matter at the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)’s European Consumer Day 2024 on 9 December in Brussels.   🗨️ In the first panel discussion, he stressed the role of water operators🚰 in ensuring cost-effective and long-term investments in water infrastructure, but stressed that it is up to policymakers and public authorities to ensure that pollution is controlled at the source to prevent increases in water treatment costs, which would otherwise raise water bills for domestic users. In this context, he also highlighted the necessity of implementing the ‘polluter-pays’ principle, enshrined in the EU treaties, to ensure that those responsible for the pollution bear the costs of its impact on the environment.   🌐 The event entitled "Water Challenges: Exploring Consumer Perspectives: Moving Ahead on the EU Blue Deal” focused on addressing water-related challenges from a consumer-centric perspective. Key topics included ensuring access to water at an affordable price – particularly for vulnerable consumers – while also tackling issues of water quality and quantity. The discussions explored ways to promote water-efficient consumption by encouraging changes in consumer habits and leveraging innovative tools and technologies to help individuals become more conscious of their water consumption and its sustainability implications. The event brought together representatives from other major water organisations, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), and key stakeholders from across the water sector.   📑 Read more on our website: https://bit.ly/3VB0vmH 

I had the pleasure of participating yesterday, 08/12, in the Italian #Radio24 programme “Si può fare” (We Can Do It) to discuss the challenges and possible responses to the growing risks of drought and desertification in Europe and worldwide. I spoke about the recent European Environment Agency report on "Europe's State of Water 2024". I suggested that the report is essential reading, both to understand the pressures on our waters and to learn more about how we can increase our #WaterResilience. From green infrastructure to water reuse, from water use efficiency to aquifer recharge — we already have a wide range of viable options to strengthen our water security and reduce exposure to extreme events. These approaches have been the focus of Aqua Publica’s work over the last few years, demonstrating that we can achieve a lot without waiting for groundbreaking innovations. What we need now is to step up efforts to reduce governance fragmentation, improve stakeholder coordination, and enhance long-term planning. At Aqua Publica, we’re ready to play our part. Thanks to Laura Bettini for the invitation, and congratulations to you and colleagues on your valuable and informative programme. Caroline Whalley EU Environment and Climate

👏 Congratulations to Gruppo CAP for receiving the 2024 City Sustainability Award for their €50 million investment (co-funded through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan - PNRR) in the Città Metropolitana Spugna project. This initiative includes 90 sustainable urban drainage (SUD) interventions across 32 municipalities in the Milan metropolitan area. The project aims to reduce flood risk through the adoption of green infrastructure🌿and sustainable drainage systems, contributing to a more resilient urban environment.🌍 Yuri Santagostino

APE had the honour of being invited by MEP Vicent Marzà for a meeting with elected representatives from some of the municipalities most impacted by the DANA🌪️. Hearing the firsthand accounts of the tragic events in Valencia was affecting, and the extent of the devastation is concerning. We discussed what solutions should be prioritised in the reconstruction phase in order to increase resilience, taking into account the current EU framework and drawing on the experience and best practices of APE members. Thanks to MEP Marzà for the invitation and the interest in our organisation. Spanish and European members of APE remain available to provide support 🤝