Water Reuse Europe Innovation Prize 2019
The Water Reuse Europe Innovation Prize 2019 was awarded on the 21st of October 2019 in Lille (France) to the Mörbylånga Drinking Water Treatment Plant (DWTP) in Sweden.
The winner and finalists of the 2019 Water Reuse Europe Innovation Prize.
From left to right: Pierre Magnes – FGWRS® demonstrator for greywater recycling – FGWRS (Monaco); Billy Guidö – Mörbylånga drinking water treatment plant – Mörbylånga Municipality – (Sweden) – Sabine Stuiver – The Hydraloop System for greywater recycling – Hydraloop – (The Netherlands).
After suffering from several years of water shortages, in 2019 the Mörbylånga Municipality commissioned a new drinking water treatment plant, independent from rainfall and groundwater recharge. The plant uses a combination of brackish water from wells close to the Baltic Sea and process water from a local food company to produce drinking water. On one hand, the brakish water undergoes a series of treatment steps including permanganate oxidation, ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis, re-minerailisation and UV disinfection. On the other hand, the industrial wastewater is biologically and chemically treated before being sent to a pre-treatement plamt where it is further polished using ultrafiltration and disinfected before being introduced to the DWTP. One of the advanteages of blending brackish water and recycled industrial water is that the salinity of industrial water is much lower than that of brakish water, hence allowing for a lower energy consumption and reduced treatment costs.
This new European indirect potable reuse scheme can produce up to 4000m3 of drinking water per day covering up to 75% of the municipality daily freshwater needs and therefore offering a water supply that is resistant to prolonged drought events.
One of the key reasons for the success of the Mörbylånga project is the positive political and local support it received as a result of proactive stakeholder engagement and transparent communication about the scheme. This included amongst others, the organisation of information sessions and the distribution of informative leaflets allowing to overcome one of the barriers usually faced during the development phase of many potable reuse projects.
About The Water Reuse Europe Innovation Prize:
The aim of the Water Reuse Europe Innovation Prize is to reward the professionals who are breaking new ground in the design and delivery of water reuse projects and showcase projects and initiatives which are at the forefront of reuse practice in Europe.
Entries are judged by the directors of Water Reuse Europe based on three criteria: (i) innovation (ii) collaboration and (iii) impact.
For more information about our innovation prize, contact us at: info@water-reuse-europe.org.
Past winners:
2017 – Aquabio for the Bakkavor Cucina Sano WWRP Scheme, Boston, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom – Elevating Water Reuse to New Heights in the Food Processing Industry.
