NAWATECH-EU PART · Natural Water Systems and Treatment Technologies to cope with Water Shortages in Urbanised Areas in India

The here proposed NAwATech Europe proposal is closely interconnected with the partner project NaWaTech India. In order to reach the maximal impact the two projects have formed one common work plan for both projects, targeting the same objectives, will present their results at the same web-site and formed a joint management team. Providing adequate water supply and sanitation, particularly in urban areas, is a challenging task for governments throughout the world. This task is made even more difficult due to predicted dramatic global changes. In order to cope with water shortages in urban areas, there is a need for a paradigm shift from conventional end-of-pipe water management to an integrated approach. This integrated approach should include several actions such as: (i) interventions over the entire urban water cycle; (ii) optimisation of water use by reusing wastewater and preventing pollution of freshwater source; (iii) prioritisation of small-scale natural and technical systems, which are flexible, cost-effective and require low operation and maintenance. Natural water systems, such as manmade wetlands and sub-soil filtration and storage via soil aquifer treatment and bank filtration, are such systems. NaWaTech stands for natural water systems and treatment technologies to cope with water shortages in urbanised areas in India. The concept is based on optimised use of different urban water flows by treating each of these flows via a modular natural system taking into account the different nature and degree of pollution of the different water sources. Thus, it will cost-effectively improve the water quality of urban surface water and restore depleting groundwater sources. Due to the multi-barrier approach, these systems will also be able to treat heavily polluted water (i.e. wastewater) in order to reuse them and to supplement traditional sources to cope with water shortages today and in the future.