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.

The new Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP) published on 11 March 2020 offered a unique opportunity to unleash the water sector’s potential. While the European Commission presented a lot of good intentions and the will to “scale up the circular economy from front-runners to the mainstream economic players”, a number of question marks remain and the potential of the water sector is not sufficiently exploited. In this context, we wish to make the following comments.

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