QleanUP is a new EU-funded project tackling one of today’s most urgent challenges: safeguarding urban water quality in the face of climate change, urbanisation, and emerging pollutants. Urban water systems are increasingly exposed to organic micropollutants, microplastics, pathogens, nutrients, heavy metals and antimicrobial resistance, while water managers often lack real-time information to prevent and mitigate pollution.
To address this gap, QleanUP promotes a holistic, risk-based approach aligned with the EU Zero Pollution Action Plan. The project integrates advanced monitoring technologies, remote sensing and data analytics with AI-driven digital tools such as hard and soft sensors and digital twins. These innovations will support agile data management, decision-making and evidence-based source tracking to better identify and respond to pollution threats.
QleanUP will demonstrate its solutions in five real-world urban demo cases, covering source water, groundwater, stormwater runoff, wastewater effluents and receiving waters, ensuring scalability and transferability across Europe during its four-year duration.
On the 22 and 23 January, the project officially launched with a successful kick-off meeting hosted by Orvion, where partners explored nature-inspired DNA-based monitoring approaches. Water Europe is glad to be part of this consortium, of 16 partners, coordinated by the Delft University of Technology. QleanUP will empower water authorities and utilities with resilient tools to protect Europe’s urban waters now and in the future.
