This project focuses on analysing alternative water supply systems in Europe regarding their water saving potential. The main task is to evaluate and show the risks as well as the social, ecologic and economic impacts of these systems. Furthermore, the negative effects and the sustainability of these alternative methods will be researched and demonstrated.

In the past few years, the EU has increasingly dealt with the problem of water scarcity within the Member States. Through the use of several measurements, the EU aims to reduce consumption of drinking water in Member States to ensure an adequate drinking water supply in the future. For this reduction, the EU strives towards an improvement in water use efficiency, partially supported by alternative solutions in the water supply.

In the course of this project, four alternative approaches of water supply (rainwater harvesting and reuse, desalination, wastewater reuse and water recharge) were researched. The possibilities were analysed according to five sectors: agriculture, tourism, households, energy and industry.

The objectives of the project were to calculate and assess the risks for and pressures on humans and the environment. Furthermore, the study comprises an exact listing of the implementation, the practicability and the potential savings of the particular approaches within the different sectors.

A challenge for the analysis has been the differentiation of the various measurements concerning technologies, water consumption, regional particularities as well as differentiations within the different sectors.

The project results will contribute to reducing the consumption of drinking water in the EU-27 Member States to secure a future supply.

The study can be downloaded in several parts:

• Short summary [pdf, 200 KB, English]
• Extended Summary [pdf, 400 KB, English]
• Task 1 report [pdf, 1.5 MB, English]
• Task 2 report [pdf, 2.7 MB, English]
• Task 2 report Annexes [pdf, 350 KB, English]
• Task 3 report [pdf, 1.5 MB, English]