Blueprint for a Circular Water Smart Society
Expert Group Circular Water (Partnership)
New partnership: Global Expert Group Circular Water. Initiated by the Dutch Expertgroep Circular Water of the Dutch Water Alliance. The kick off is on Wednesday 22nd March – World Water Day – launching its first publication: a ‘BLUEPRINT FOR A CIRCULAR WATER SMART SOCIETY’ with tangible solutions for the practical implementation of circular water and a vision of water uses within the urban environment. This Blueprint for a Circular, Water-Smart Society aims to provide a concise overview of circular water solutions that can be safely deployed in the short term to reduce tap water use. This blueprint provides an overview of the causes of the current water crisis and how the use of safe circular water sources in the urban environment is a quick-to-implement and smart solution to reduce tap water use and wastewater emissions by 20% to 45%. Circular water can be applied without requiring residents to make concessions in their standard of living. On the contrary, even during long periods of drought and water scarcity, normal pre-water-scarcity living standards can be maintained while saving water and energy.
Expected Impact
We stand at a crossroads to raise ambition and accelerate action to tackle the global water crisis. We need to transition from linear to circular water management. As we strive to create a more sustainable future, innovative solutions are emerging in various industries, including water conservation.
Circular water substantially reduces water uptake, wastewater emissions, carbon footprint, energy consumption, and reduces water and energy bills. It enables higher density building, needs less infrastructure and with increased water pricing offers end-users and communities more resilience and empowers home owners to create their own sustainable environment. Furthermore, NextGen IoT-connected circular water solution devices offer invaluable data to water utilities, as well as education on the value of water and awareness for its end users.
Impact:
1. Discourage and eventually ban the use of tap water for non-potable purposes in the shortest possible time, starting with new construction and renovation
2. Encourage and eventually mandate the use of alternative circular water sources in the broadest sense;
3. Ensure the livability of cities by deploying smart, efficient and safe alternative circular water sources for watering gardens, green roofs and green walls, and to prohibit the use of tap water for these applications;
4. Urgently adjust regulations and building codes;
5. Accelerate the implementation of existing standards for safe circular water use or expand existing standards with sections on safe circular water use. If standards for safe circular water use are not yet available, governments could speed up the introduction of standards and cooperate with existing standards organizations such as NSF or European organizations;
6. Safeguard public health and make circular water available at a lower cost than tap water by applying fit-for-purpose circular water quality criteria;
7. Encourage public-private collaboration among water sector stakeholders to enable them to play a leading role in the transformation to a Water-Smart Society.
Impact on UNSDGs: water impacts ALL UNSDGs, but specifically we have chosen the following to be strongly impacted in positive sense:
Nr 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
Nr 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
Nr 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
Nr 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
Nr 17: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development
Partners
The start of this new global partnership is an initiative by the Expert Group Circular Water from the Water Alliance (NL). This new global partnership is launched on Wednesday 22nd March 2023. The global partnership and the Blueprint are supported and endorsed by: Water Alliance (NL), Water Europe (BE), Netherlands Water Partnership NWP (NL), The Water Council (US), National Association of Water Innovation (US), Water Foundry (US), Circular Australia (AUS), and World Alliance for Efficient Solutions by Solar Impulse Foundation (CH).
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Additional information
On World Water Day, this Wednesday 22nd March 2023, the first copy of the ‘Blueprint for a Circular Water Smart Society’ and the launch of the Global Expert Group Circular Water will be made official by handing over the first ‘Blueprint’ to Dutch Minister of Infrastructure and Water: Mr. Mark Harbers in New York, during the UN2023 Water Conference and the New York Water Week.
On Friday 24th March, there will be an informative and moderated event – organized and set up by Hydraloop International – with visions from leading global expert keynote speakers from the fields of – amongst others – safety standards, property development, water utility, water consultant, and leading universities. Offering lessons learned and tangible solutions for practical implementation of circular water solutions.: https://nywaterweek.com/events/tangible-solutions-for-the-practical-imp….
The Global Expert Group Circular Water aims to grow into an international hub of public-private collaboration among water sector stakeholders to enable them to play a leading role in the speedy transformation into a Circular Water-Smart Society. It’s aim is to provides an overview of the causes of the current water crisis and how to use safe circular water sources in the urban environment.