Water resources efficiency and conservative use in drinking water supply systems

WATER RESCUE project aims at sustainable drinking water supply management through the increase of water use efficiency and the monitoring & improvement of water quality throughout the whole water supply chain (from the water intake points & back to the environment).The project not only safeguards water resources quality and quantity from natural and human pressures but, more importantly, it assures the water consumers safety and health as well as their quality of life, being in line with EU & national legislation.As water meets no borders and Greece and Bulgaria share international river basins, it is imperative the common water management problems to be tackled jointly in the cross border area.

The project aims at the reduction of Non-Revenue Water in drinking water supply systems and the monitoring of surface water used for drinking purposes in the cross border area.The project’s outputs will be joint innovative methodological approaches, technologies & tools used to tackle drinking water management problems taking also into consideration human & natural pressures including climate change.These methodologies, serving as early warning systems, will be tested in pilot areas in the CB area and finally joint policy recommendation papers will highlight the results and lessons learnt.WATER RESCUE results will have a positive impact to the whole CB area. The programme & project area is expected to address & solve crucial common water supply management problems, meet the targets set by the RBMP PoMs & achieve economic & tourist development through improved water quality & quantity.

The project’s added value for the area is that better management of water resources used for drinking purposes is achieved, through water resources efficient use (reduced NRW) and water quality assurance in the whole water supply chain.Water use efficiency has positive environmental impacts (not only water but also energy resources efficient use; reduced carbon &water footprint). Regional & local authorities are expected to benefit from the project, as well as the water consumers (local citizens & visitors).

The dissemination of the project’s results is expected to grow a more “green” behavior resutling in reduced water consumption.The project’s activities are jointly developed by all partners verifying the need for a joint water management approach.The final integrated methodological tools (serving as early warning systems) that will come out of the project are innovative and new as until now only fragmentary tools and techniques are used to improve drinking water management.The project’s results will be disseminated through a solid, jointly developed communication and dissemination plan, ensuring the project results sustainability.Finally, the developed methodologies & tools, managing both water quantity & quality in the CB context will function as reference procedures that can be applied at a Balkan, Mediterranean and European level.