Working Groups

Water & Human Capital WG

The scope of the WG Human Capital is to create sensitivity within the water sector to the human factor at a European level and position the European water sector as a reference by defining a common agenda, creating opportunities and demonstrating its level of expertise. With the changing profile of the water sector due to technical innovations, climate change and societal changes, there is a growing need to create more insight knowledge and collaboration programmes to ensure a future-proof workforce for the water sector. The WG HC aims to support and accelerate the innovative water sector with the creation and execution of Human Capital Agenda.

Water Beyond Europe WG

The scope of the WG is to create connections and networking on international water activities. The Working Group will collaborate with the work of other working groups and other relevant international networks; support Water Europe and its members for their international water agendas; strengthen international business opportunities for the Water Europe members; enhance effective communication mechanisms with relevant international external entities (e.g. public authorities/supranational entities, WB, IWA, OECD etc.); map and connect with international networks and water orientated living labs; and provide a living database of relevant international organisations for the potential to collaborate.

Naomi
Timmer

Human Capital WG Leader
H2O People

Zakhar
Maletskyi

Human Capital WG Co-leader
NMBU

David
Smith

Water Beyond Europe WG Leader
WE&B

Gaetano
Casale

Water Beyond Europe WG Co-leader
UNESCO-IHE

Water & Sustainable Agrifood WG

The Working Group focuses on good practices and innovative solutions in order to improve sustainable exploitation and stewardship of water sources in the agriculture and the food processing industry. The WG aims to involve the water sector, the food industry (e.g. processing), and the agricultural sector with the aim to promote synergies that boost cooperation and exchange of knowledge between these relevant sectors. Likewise, the WG seeks to pave the way for the implementation of appropriate solutions by improving the framework conditions (e.g. better regulations, funding, water quality and quantity, social and economic aspects, etc.)

Water & Industry WG

The WG serves as a platform for industries across different sectors (comprising (petro)chemical, mining, food, pulp and paper, textile, steel, and others) to address challenges, barriers, and opportunities related to water end-users. The platform should ultimately consist of industrial end-users and (a limited number of) supporting organizations – other interested parties form a surrounding shell of “observer” partners. The platform should provide a basis for interaction next to and beyond the level of national platforms and European branch organizations, thereby creating the “water specific” connection between industry sectors on a European level. Areas of interest are BREF’s (wastewater, cooling, etc), EU reuse policy, zero-pollution goal, and others.

Antonia
Lorenzo

Water & Sustainable Agrifood WG Leader
Bioazul

Alfieri
Pollice

Water & Sustainable Agrifood WG Co-leader
CNR-IRSA

Thomas
Track

Water & Industry WG Leader
DECHEMA

Heleen
Nieuwenhuis

Water & Industry WG Co-leader
ECOLAB

Dr. Sean
O’Hogain

Water & Industry WG Co-leader
TU Dublin

Resource Recovery WG

The Resource Recovery Working Group is primarily active in the recovery of Nutrients, Metals, Minerals, Water and Energy from (waste) water. This is an important activity to unlock the circular economy and reap the benefits of the Value in Water and the Value of Water. Among its objectives are the support for the establishment of end-of-waste criteria for European waste water derived products (recovered and produced); the supply of inputs towards the European Commission and the creation of a stage for young PhD students, along with the connection of start-ups and SMEs.

Renewable Energy Desalination WG

The scope of the WG will be to assess the feasibility of the implementation of solar desalination in islands. Two different regions will be considered in parallel for blueprint cases: Southern Europe and Northern Europe. Solutions for implementing solar desalination will be analyzed, discussed and proposed in each case. The analysis and discussion will be done from the technical point of view by choosing the most appropriate technologies in each case, but also from the social, economic and environmental point of view by taking into account limitations and regulations, economical constrains, and other uses and opportunities.

Martijn
Bijmans

Resource Recovery WG Leader
WETSUS

Dimitris
Xevgenos

Resource Recovery WG Co-leader
TU DELFT

Guillermo
Zaragoza

Renewable Energy Desalination WG Leader
CIEMAT-PSA

Amelia
Stromberg

Renewable Energy Desalination WG Co-leader
VattenInfo

Blanca
Antizar

Resource Recovery WG Co-leader
Isle Utilities

Water & Climate WG

The scope of the WG ‘Water & Climate’ is to bring together relevant stakeholders, such as researchers, companies, NGOs and legislators; to identify current and future water and climate related topics on regional, national and EU-level; to promote joint projects of Working Group members; to support innovative measures and solutions with the aim to cope with climate change impacts and provide information and expertise to European Commission DGs.

Water Security WG

The scope of the WG is to translate the concept of water security to the European context. This will form the basis for the Working Group’s white paper which will cover the relations of Water Security with water governance, legislation and regulation, assessment and progress monitoring, research and innovation. Questions that will be answered are: What are the global implications of water security, including the SDGs? What does water security mean for Europe? What does it mean for the connection of Europe to the rest of the world? How can we improve water security and monitor progress?

Tone
Muthanna

Water & Climate WG Leader
NTNU

Jan
Hofman

Water Security WG Leader
University of Bath

Blanca
Antizar

Water Security WG Co-leader
Isle Utilities

Water & Public Health WG

The scope of the Working Group is to make health an important element in EU water related policies and boost the R&I methodology to contribute to the achievement of a Water Smart Society in which the value of water is recognized and protected as a precious resource for human health and well-being. The WG will analyse and provide clear advice to the water value chain on selected areas of interest that are in need of further policy and R&I coordination and support.

Water & Zero Pollution WG

The scope of the Working Groups is to improve insights in water availability, quality and use through advanced technologies that make various new alternative water sources available for multiple uses; through innovative digital technologies (e.g. sensors, data analysis and support tools) that enable measurements and near real-time monitoring of – and insight into – water extraction, treatment, distribution, quality and use; and through new solutions for source control measures that prevent water cycle pollution (or to prevent pollution from entering water cycles) and prevent pollution through water discharge.

Cristian
Carboni

Water & Public Health WG Leader
Industrie De Nora

Patrizia
Brigidi

Water & Public Health WG Co-leader
UNIBO

Leonard
Osté

Water & Zero Pollution WG Leader
DELTARES

Lian
Lundy

Water & Zero Pollution WG Co-leader
Luleå University

Barth
F. Smets

Water & Public Health WG Co-leader
Technical University of Denmark

Maria Elena
Rowinski

Water & Public Health WG Co-leader
Azienda Ospedaliera

Pascale
Rouault

Water & Zero Pollution WG Co-leader
KWBerlin

Nature Based Solutions WG

The scope of the WG NBS is to foster the research, development, and implementation of NBS in the public and industrial water sectors. The WG activities are focused on exchanging information among different groups, implementing nature-based solutions; discussing the different classes and variations of nature-based solutions and their effects; providing input in national and European research and innovation programmes; and facilitating joint research and innovation activities.

Water Distribution Infrastructure & Energy WG

From a system perspective, the Working Group Water Distribution Infrastructure & Energy (WDIE) has as its scope to cover a broad variety of challenges facing water distribution infrastructure from the source to the tap. This includes technical challenges with an ageing infrastructure, asset management with growing demand and investment concerns, as well as the respective innovative business models.

Water & Biodiversity WG

The Working Group Water and Biodiversity seeks to connect water and water resources to biodiversity as an indicator for healthy ecosystems. Assessment and mitigation of biodiversity loss by pollution or decrease of available water are addressed through social and technical innovations. The WG focuses on innovations that improve biodiversity monitoring in water bodies, and on new concepts and approaches that enable the (re-)development of resilient, biodiverse, aquatic ecosystems.

The WG aims to support national and European R&I ambitions and policies, as well as the achievement of the WE Vision for a Water-Smart Society. It also aims at developing tools and perspectives to control and increase the availability of fit for purpose water for restoring biodiversity.

Kamal
Azrague

Nature Based Solutions WG Leader
SINTEF

Frederic
Cherqui

Nature Based Solutions WG Co-leader
INSA Lyon

Abdelkader
Meroufel

Water Distribution Infrastructure & Energy WG Leader
RISE

Qian
Wang

Water Distribution Infrastructure & Energy WG Co-leader
UPONOR

Sara
Eeman

Water & Biodiversity WG Leader
Aveco de Bondt

Mona
Arnold

Water & Biodiversity WG Co-leader
VTT Finland