SafeCREW | Climate-resilient management for safe disinfected and non-disinfected water supply systems

Summary
Safe and affordable supply of drinking water (DW) in the EU under the pressure of climate change is a key priority. Despite long-term experience with the reliable operation of disinfected and non-disinfected drinking water supply systems (DWSS), a number of challenges around microbial stability, the (future) need for disinfection and the consequences of disinfection by-products (DBPs) formation for human health remain open, directly deriving from climate change impacts such as increasing water temperature and higher levels of natural organic matter (NOM).
SafeCREW aims to support the novel EU DW Directive by generating advanced knowledge and developing tools and guidelines for disinfected and non-disinfected DWSS and addresses improved comprehensive water quality characterization, novel treatment solutions to actively respond to identified threats, and the management of distribution networks to avoid water quality deterioration up to consumers.
Novel data sets on the occurrence and concentration of so far unknown DBPs will be created, and commercial actors stimulated to further develop tools for DBP quantification and mitigation.
Transferable tools will be provided to end-users (water utilities, national/EU regulators, researchers, SMEs), including: (I) reliable methods to evaluate microbial stability, characterise NOM, detect DBPs and account for DBP human health toxicity, (II) protocols to select proper materials in contact with disinfected water, (III) monitoring and modelling tools, also exploiting machine learning, for real-time optimisation of DWSS management, and (IV) an integrated risk assessment framework to guide future interventions which ensure that both disinfected and non-disinfected DWSS can continue providing safe DW in the face of climate change.
SafeCREW will increase the preparedness of the EU water sector to challenges arising from climate change and will support the EU’s leading position in science-based policy making for DW consumer protection.
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More information & hyperlinks
Web resources: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101081980
Start date: 01-11-2022
End date: 30-04-2026
Total budget - Public funding: 3 871 547,50 Euro - 3 871 547,00 Euro
Cordis data

Original description

Safe and affordable supply of drinking water (DW) in the EU under the pressure of climate change is a key priority. Despite long-term experience with the reliable operation of disinfected and non-disinfected drinking water supply systems (DWSS), a number of challenges around microbial stability, the (future) need for disinfection and the consequences of disinfection by-products (DBPs) formation for human health remain open, directly deriving from climate change impacts such as increasing water temperature and higher levels of natural organic matter (NOM).
SafeCREW aims to support the novel EU DW Directive by generating advanced knowledge and developing tools and guidelines for disinfected and non-disinfected DWSS and addresses improved comprehensive water quality characterization, novel treatment solutions to actively respond to identified threats, and the management of distribution networks to avoid water quality deterioration up to consumers.
Novel data sets on the occurrence and concentration of so far unknown DBPs will be created, and commercial actors stimulated to further develop tools for DBP quantification and mitigation.
Transferable tools will be provided to end-users (water utilities, national/EU regulators, researchers, SMEs), including: (I) reliable methods to evaluate microbial stability, characterise NOM, detect DBPs and account for DBP human health toxicity, (II) protocols to select proper materials in contact with disinfected water, (III) monitoring and modelling tools, also exploiting machine learning, for real-time optimisation of DWSS management, and (IV) an integrated risk assessment framework to guide future interventions which ensure that both disinfected and non-disinfected DWSS can continue providing safe DW in the face of climate change.
SafeCREW will increase the preparedness of the EU water sector to challenges arising from climate change and will support the EU’s leading position in science-based policy making for DW consumer protection.

Status

SIGNED

Call topic

HORIZON-CL6-2022-ZEROPOLLUTION-01-04

Update Date

09-02-2023
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Horizon Europe
HORIZON.2 Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness
HORIZON.2.6 Food, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment
HORIZON.2.6.0 Cross-cutting call topics
HORIZON-CL6-2022-ZEROPOLLUTION-01
HORIZON-CL6-2022-ZEROPOLLUTION-01-04 Securing drinking water quality by protecting water sources against pollution, providing innovative monitoring and treatment solutions and ensuring safe distribution
HORIZON.2.6.7 Circular Systems
HORIZON-CL6-2022-ZEROPOLLUTION-01
HORIZON-CL6-2022-ZEROPOLLUTION-01-04 Securing drinking water quality by protecting water sources against pollution, providing innovative monitoring and treatment solutions and ensuring safe distribution