B-WaterSmart launches knowledge portal for smart water use

B-WaterSmart launches knowledge portal for smart water use in December. The portal focuses on utilities, governments and industrial companies that are looking for solutions in the form of circular processes and water reuse. Knowledge institutions and technology companies can present their innovative knowledge and technology there as they could be used and applied in the industry.

The knowledge portal is a product of the European Horizon 2020 B-WaterSmart project, a collaboration between 6 Flemish partners (including Vlakwa and VITO) and 30 European partners. B-WaterSmart is a research project building a water-smart society and economy by developing and demonstrating smart technologies and circular economy approaches. “Innovative solutions are co-developed and tested at six sites, called Living Labs, spread across Europe. These are intended to support water companies and municipalities in making their water systems and services sustainable, water-smart, and more resilient to climate change,” states project coordinator David Schwesig.

Water companies from Alicante in Spain, Bodø in Norway, Flanders in Belgium, Lisbon in Portugal, East Frisia in Germany, and Venice in Italy develop and apply solutions in Living Labs, together with research partners and local technology providers.

Lisbon
The Portuguese capital hosted this month the ‘Rethinking Water’ event focusing on water scarcity and management, working together with 100 researchers, scientists, and stakeholders in the industry, providing new solutions for three major fields – agriculture, utilities, and infrastructure. Lisbon is one of the Living Labs in the B-WaterSmart project with a special focus on the development of tools & processes to facilitate safe water reuse, improve water-energy-phosphorus efficiency in municipal non-potable water uses, and contribute to improving households and buildings’ climate readiness regarding water and energy with an assessment tool developed locally but with an ambition for European adoption. So far, the capital has been implementing new standards in municipal buildings, however with no certification mechanism.

Results
The innovative solutions demonstrated to the Living Labs produce a number of public outcomes that will be closely monitored and analyzed for full efficiency. The results will be published under nine different categories including Water-Smart technologies, applications and data, assessment framework, circular economy value chain, society and governance, knowledge portal, and others. The platform will present key insights into major water issues by analyzing data and using technology for a smarter water sector.