Absorbing knowledge at the Aqua Nederland Vakbeurs

The Aqua Nederland trade fair will be held at the Evenementenhal Gorinchem on March 21, 22 and 23. Aqua Nederland is the trade fair in the Netherlands in the field of wastewater, drinking water, process water, and urban water and sewage management. During Aqua Nederland, the supply and demand of water technology, water management services and knowledge products are brought together.

Six knowledge sessions

Apart from its trade fair booth, KWR is organising six knowledge sessions. From Tuesday through to Thursday, at 10:30 and 13:30, our researchers will be making presentations connected to the fair’s themes, with a special emphasis on the Water in the Circular Economy (WiCE) and the TKI Water Technology programmes. Click here for the schedule of the knowledge sessions and for the registration link.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity, and discover, on the basis of concrete project examples, what the latest insights and future-oriented developments are in the following areas:

1. Dairy sector helps reduce pressure on groundwater
The reuse of industrial residual water from dairy plants has a two-fold positive impact: both drought and salinisation are mitigated. This brings with it a reduction of the pressure on scarce groundwater resources.

The project, ‘Reducing pressure on groundwater through reuse of dairy residual waters in agriculture’, responds to a situation in which water demand grows continuously, while groundwater is under increased pressure, both in terms of quantity and quality.  Instead of competing with each other for the available water, water utilities and Water Authorities aim with this project to accelerate the transition to a climate-robust water system and prevent the damaging impact of drought. The groundwater resources thus remain available for drinking water production, while the reuse of industrial residual water provides agriculture with a water stream.

2. Opportunities for water reuse and residual-stream valorisation
When the specific opportunities for water reuse and residual-stream valorisation become clear, companies can achieve their circular ambitions and enhance their operational security.

Within the TKI Water Technology and the Water in the Circular Economy (WiCE) programmes, KWR is investigating, in collaboration with the water sector, which sales markets exist for the typical residual streams generated in water treatment processes. You can learn about concrete examples, such as the removal of phosphates from surface water, the production of syngas from low-value residual streams, and the treatment of brackish groundwater with zero liquid discharge.

3. Water in the district
When water is included as an initial consideration in the process of designing the built environment, tremendous possibilities are created for the ‘district of the future’. While water is an essential element, it is often included too late in the planning process for the sustainable development of newly built areas. This leads to missed opportunities. Think for instance of creating possibilities for the longer retention of rainwater, the separation of waste streams, and the area-targeted treatment and (re)use of water streams in the district. Discover what has been learned from different cases, including Superlocal (Kerkrade), Brainport Smart District (Helmond) and City West (Nieuwegein). What experiences have been acquired with water concepts? What are the possible solutions?

4. Closing the water cycle
More and more attention is being paid to the extra treatment of WWTP effluent. This might even offer the possibility of closing the water cycle.

Over the past few years, it has become increasingly clear that WWTP effluent often still contains all sorts of organic micropollutants, such as pharmaceuticals. This poses problems for the aquatic environment, and for the treatment of drinking water that uses surface water in which the effluent has been discharged. And it also limits the degree to which the water, following treatment, can be used with a view to maximising the closure of the water cycle. The TKI project, ‘Closing the water cycle’, studied the effects of a treatment of WWTP effluent on the water quality. The method involved the application of ozone, followed by ceramic membrane filtration. We take you through the results, such as decreased membrane fouling, and the chemical composition and the biological stability of the water.

5. Are we ready for lower temperature domestic hot water?
Attention installation engineers, consultancies, technology providers, drinking water utilities and heating companies: here we discuss the chances and requirements for low-temperature domestic hot water.

Social requirements define the specific temperature demands for the production of domestic hot water. At the same time the usual measures, such as periodic thermal shocks, are under pressure on scientific grounds. Sustainability and public health appear to be standing in each other’s way. A difficult situation for end-users. In this knowledge session, we explore the question of whether we are ready for a future with low-temperature domestic hot water.

6. Recycling and saving water behind the front door
Citizens who deal with water more conscientiously: How could water saving ‘behind the front door’ complement the standard water systems in cities, which transport drinking water and wastewater over long distances?

Experiments have been run with new water-treatment solutions and their acceptance by citizens. Thousands of residents of Amsterdam, Kerkrade, Hamburg, Ghent and Helsingborg make daily use of water-saving and new sanitation techniques in and around their homes. How do they feel about them? How is their behaviour affected?  And would they recommend this way of living to the other 450 million Europeans? Discover the lessons learned from this decentralised manner of saving and recycling water.

Welcome and registration

Let the above knowledge sessions become a stepping stone to a chat with our researchers. KWR will gladly welcome you to our booth. We are curious about the future-oriented water questions that you and your organisation are working on. You will receive a free admission ticket to the Aqua Nederland trade fair when you register through this link.