Waterwijs brings the values of water to life

Waterwijs – the water sector’s collective research programme – is dedicated to the development of knowledge for the drinking water sector; knowledge which also has an impact in meeting societal challenges, such as climate change, water quality, water availability and drought. The Dutch drinking water utilities, the Flemish De Watergroep water utility and the branch association, Vewin, collaborate in Waterwijs, for which KWR is the coordinator and implementing knowledge institute of the drinking water sector. Through this collaborative programme, the drinking water sector has for many decades embraced the value and importance of knowledge and innovation for a sustainable drinking water system. The programme, under its previous Dutch title of ‘Bedrijfstak Onderzoek’ or ‘BTO’, established a solid foundation upon which it will now build further as ‘Waterwijs’. 

Stand on the shoulders of our predecessors

For Anne Mathilde Hummelen, Waterwijs Programme Manager, the programme articulates the reality that we are co-responsible for the world that surrounds us. ‘Drinking water in the Netherlands is of top quality, but we can’t take this for granted. To maintain this standard, you need knowledge, a long-term vision and collaboration. For me, the word “wijs” means that we can stand on the shoulders of our predecessors to achieve this.’  

Impact through drinking water research

Colleague and fellow Programme Manager, Jolijn van Engelenburg, is triggered primarily by the programme’s core message: ‘Impact through drinking water research’. ‘We already have a great deal of knowledge about drinking water, but we want to convey it further. Not only within the water sector, but throughout all of society. The combination of the new name and pay-off reflects a significant ambition. In the past, we focused primarily on the development of knowledge for and with the drinking water utilities. Now, we also want to start sharing our knowledge with other organisations outside of the drinking water sector. To me this is very inspiring’. 

Waterwijs magazine

Specially for the launch of the new name, and to share the vision and substance of the research programme for 2024-2029 in an appealing fashion, the first edition of Waterwijs magazine (in Dutch) was published in September. The publication is full of interviews, photos, projects, current events and background information. The magazine can be seen here.

WiCE

The WiCE  (Water in the Circular Economy) programme, in which Waterwijs partners collaborate with other partners, will keep its own name, but will be given a new look with an own logo.

Want to know more about Waterwijs?

For staff members of the drinking water utilities there is a special online environment: Waterwijs-Net. Here you can find out everything concerning the research programme: the latest news, information about all ongoing research, a calendar with all meetings and events, meeting documents, recently issued trend alerts and reports, and more. Everything is clearly laid out and in one place.

Registration is easy. Just visit Waterwijs-Net, request access once, and, within one working day, your request should be approved and you will have access to all information about Waterwijs for as long as you like.  You can also use the online environment to register for the ‘Waterwijs-nieuwsbrief’, a newsletter (in Dutch) which KWR sends out five times a year.