Waterwijs: the Joint Research Programme of KWR and the water utilities

Impact through drinking water research

Drought, excessively rapid water discharge, pollution, salinisation, growing world population, economies that demand more and more water, are a few of the factors contributing to the growing pressure on the water system. The societal challenges are considerable and often complex. The task of the drinking water sector is to achieve a sustainable drinking water system, as part of the total water system. This calls for in-depth knowledge and close collaboration between science and practice in order to arrive at effective solutions. The collective research in Waterwijs is therefore of great importance for the drinking water sector. It is a broad research programme which is directed at:

• Preparing for the future through futures studies

• Extending and deepening knowledge, and storing and sharing knowledge

• Making connections between the science and practice of the drinking water/water sector

• Supporting policy and decision-making

• Strengthening collaboration, and connecting with other knowledge networks

The outcomes of Waterwijs also have societal impact over time.

Co-makership: together we achieve more

Waterwijs articulates the reality that we are co-responsible for the world that surrounds us. Waterwijs stands for impact through drinking water research. Over the 2024-2029 period, the programme will remain focused on sharing knowledge for rapid implementation within the practice of the drinking water utilities. With our knowledge we also aim to contribute to a high-performance drinking water sector that has an impact on societal issues, such as dealing with climate change and water availability. The challenges we confront are of such complexity, that an integrated and joint approach is needed. The way of achieving this is co-makership.

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. 

For more information, contact Programme Managers (030-6069733) or (030-6069704) 

The big challenges in the provision of clean, safe and sustainable drinking water

Water quality under pressure

The drinking water in the Netherlands still meets the legally established standards, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain this high level. The quality of drinking water sources is deteriorating as a result of the pollution originating from sources such as agriculture, industry and households. According to the European Water Framework Directive (WFD), the ecological quality of surface water and groundwater needs to be improved, so that it can be used to produce drinking water after being submitted to relatively simple treatment processes. But since the ecological water quality is still far from meeting the WFD requirements, the drinking water utilities actually have to work on enhancing their drinking water treatment in order to continue satisfying the drinking water requirements into the future.

Water demand and availability out of balance

The Netherlands is increasingly confronted with drought, which affects the availability of water. The demand and supply of water are thrown out of balance, which can also have an impact on the availability of drinking water. In addition, drinking water abstraction can have negative consequences for nature, in the form of desiccation for instance. To tackle these challenges, measures and instruments are needed to ensure that water is retained longer in the water system, that the use of drinking and other water is reduced, and that alternative water sources become available for the production of drinking water and other purposes. This also places heavy demands on the capacity and supply security of the drinking water infrastructure. 

The speed of digital transformation

The world is digitising at a rapid pace, and this offers many opportunities for the water sector. Technologies such as datahubs, Internet-of-Things, robotisation, artificial intelligence and decision-making models present lots of potential for better-informed decision-making, including in times of uncertainty. This digital transformation also allows for smart control and monitoring systems. Through the sharing and combination of data, computer models and visualisations, the road is opened to better and more efficient solutions to the challenge facing the water sector. 

Greater pressure in the subsurface

The pressure of activities in the subsurface resulting from urbanisation and the energy transition can have consequences for the water quality and the condition of the pipe network. Think, for instance, of the warming up of the drinking water, the mechanical load, or the soil pollution. Because of the increased activity, including that involving other actors both above- and underground, the drinking water utilities seek collaborations. This can sometimes require making choices that deviate from the drinking water sector’s own plans and wishes.  

Growing influence of the context

Because of the ongoing transitions in the areas of water, energy, agriculture, climate, and because of society’s changing ‘rules of play’, the drinking water utilities increasingly engage in their work together with planning-area stakeholders. This is done in a well-considered, context-conscious and proactive manner. The challenges for the drinking water/water sector are complex and are not independent of wider societal developments. The drinking water sector therefore works actively with initiatives that take place at an area-specific level. 

Interdependence of drinking water utilities and customers

The drinking water utilities are very attentive to the societal and socio-cultural context in which they operate. In order to optimally serve customers, the utilities respond to what customers want to do, can do and actually do. This requires insight into their wishes, expectations and needs. The drinking water utilities and their customers are therefore dependent on each other in the effort to maintain the balance of drinking water consumption and availability into the future. 

Societal impact

The challenges that have been briefly outlined here cannot be resolved without joining forces with others, both within and outside the drinking water/water sector. In this regard, there is one thing that is particularly evident: knowledge development is not a luxury but a necessity. With Waterwijs we work together in developing solid, reliable and high-value scientific knowledge, innovation and technology for the drinking water/water sector. We do this for applications in the daily practice and to support decision-making. We strive to bring about change in the knowledge and behaviour of all stakeholders, and thus to contribute to societal impact. This is something we work for every day with Waterwijs under the motto: impact through drinking water research. 

Want to know more? Then read the Research Vision of the collaborative Waterwijs drinking water research. 

Impact through drinking water research; impact on our society

Waterwijs has a direct impact at the drinking water utilities, Vewin and KWR, since the knowledge developed is used in practice, in policy and in follow-up research. In addition, Waterwijs has a long-term impact on our society, because the programme’s knowledge finds its way to people and organisations that use water or develop water policy. 

The impact of Waterwijs on our society: 

• Science and technology: scientific knowledge and sustainable technologies from Waterwijs are tested in the practice of the drinking water/water sector

• Economy: a reliable and efficient drinking water provision saves citizens and companies money

• Politics: evidence-based knowledge about drinking water/water assists policy-makers in developing appropriate policy

• Socio-cultural: knowledge about water-awareness and behaviour helps promote a sustainable approach to water in different socio-economic groups and decrease differences

• Education: Waterwijs knowledge is used in the training of today’s and future water scientists and water professionals

Waterwijs co-makership

A powerful example of co-makership when it comes to impact is the Dutch Water Sector Intelligence (DWSI) platform, which KWR set up 15 years ago to widely disseminate futures studies within the water sector.

A great deal is already well organised within co-makership, and this includes the area of research implementation. Think for example of the operational codes that KWR and the drinking water utilities draw up together. Through these codes, the knowledge from Waterwijs flows directly to operational practice. At the same time, knowledge questions arising from the operational codes end up on the Waterwijs research agenda. The value accorded to the actual application of the programme’s knowledge in water practice is also highlighted by the Waterwijs Implementation Award, which is presented every two years to a team of Waterwijs researchers and drinking water professionals for a successful practical implementation of Waterwijs research.

Read the full story of the research programme’s approach, the research themes and a lot more in Waterwijs magazine.