Responding to development of decentralised water provision

Experimentation with a view to sustainability

The research showed that the key drivers behind the citizens’ initiatives are the experimentation with new technologies, the pursuit of sustainability and the desire for self-sufficiency. It also showed that decentralised drinking water production is not (yet) widespread in the Netherlands, and usually exists in combination with decentralised sanitation and energy generation.

Preparing for developments

The possibilities for decentralised drinking water production in the future are closely related to the development of a circular economy. The ways water companies can prepare themselves for future developments include creating their own vision, being transparent about the energy and environmental performance of the current drinking water provision, and studying how they could offer tailored drinking water supply solutions.