EWA/VLARIO Spring Conference
Urban Water Management – Challenges, Innovation and EU Requirement versus local needs and possibilities
Thursday 11.05.2023 – Antwerp, Havenhuis (from 10AM – 5PM) – Language: English
Urban wastewater is one of the main sources of water pollution if it is not collected and treated properly. More info
The European Commission published on 25.10.2022 the Proposal for a revised Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive. This proposal is setting up new objectives in term of energy efficiency, water quality and monitoring.
The EWA/VLARIO Spring conference 2023 will focus on Urban Water Management. What are the challenges, innovation and EU requirement versus the local needs and possibilities. The first session of the conference will focus on the potential implementation of the UWWTD proposal: what are the challenges and instruments? We will hear the point of view of different European Institutions, among others, about what does this mean for the European Water Management authorities, the regional and sub-regional territorial authorities but also for the water utilities and other water users. During the second session we will focus on how innovation can be stimulated by this proposal with comments and reactions from professionals and researchers. You can register below.
Programme
Welcome from 9h.30.
| 10:00 – 10:10 | Welcome | Wendy Francken, EWA President |
| 10:10– 10:30 | Ongoing and new EU water initiatives | Rejane Beurrier, European Commission |
| Session 1: Implementation UWWTD: challenges and instruments | ||
| 10:30 – 10:45 | Introduction: the revision of the urban waste water treatment directive: towards a system approach ? | Jan Verheeke, vice-chair EEAC |
| 10:45 – 11:05 | What does this means for the European Water Management authorities | Stéphane Isoard, European Environmental Agency |
| 11:05 – 11.25 | For the European Regional and subregional territorial authorities | Christian Minelli, WAREG |
| 11.25 – 11.55 | Coffee break | |
| 11:55 – 12.15 | For the Water utilities and other water users | Jean-Yves Stenuick, Aquapublica |
| 12.15 – 12.30 | Q&A | |
| 12:30 – 13:30 | Lunch | |
| Session 2: How innovation can be stimulated by this directive | ||
| 13:30 – 13:45 | Introduction: What will be the improvement/benefit for the water bodies | Durk Krol, Water-Europe |
| 13:45 – 14:05 | How can energy-neutrality of WWTP be achieved? | Cora Uijterlinde, Stowa (NL) |
| 14.05 – 14:25 | Digitalization in the water sector | Tania Pentcheva, Xylem |
| 14:25 – 14:45 | Quality of stormwater | Maria Viklander – Lulea University of Technology, Sweden |
| 14:45 – 15:15 | Coffee break | |
| 15:15 – 15:35 | EU Funding and finance for European water innovation | Bertrand Vallet, Policy Officer, European Commission – DG RTD |
| 15:35 – 16:00 | Alternative waterresources and water reuse | Prof. Patrick Willems – KU Leuven |
| 16:00 – 16.30 | Debate with speakers of session 2 and Q&A | |
| 16:30 – 16:45 | As a member state, how do I address these challenges? | Bernard De Potter, Water Director Belgium |
| 16:45 | Conclusions and invitation to network event | Wendy Francken, EWA President |
| 18:00 | End of the conference |
