Project description
Ensuring high water quality
Urban storm water runoff is considered a major source of pollution for receiving waters. It’s a barrier to meeting objectives of water quality and aquatic biodiversity. In this context, the EU-funded WATERUN project will develop an innovative methodology to contribute to the implementation of urban water runoff management plans in cities. Specifically, it will provide preventive and mitigation solutions and best management practices adopting a holistic perspective (from source identification to remediation strategies) for diffuse water pollution control in urban catchments. Three case studies (city of Santiago de Compostela, city of Aarhus and city of Amman) have been selected according to different climate conditions, land use and level of implementation of measures for diffuse pollution.
Objective
WATERUN project aims to develop an innovative methodology to contribute to the implementation of urban water runoff management plans in cities based on the Water-Sensitive Urban Design concept. This methodology will provide preventive and mitigation solutions and best management practices adopting a holistic perspective (from source identification to remediation strategies) for diffuse water pollution control in urban catchments. The target is to transform the urban water runoff management by the development of identification, planning and risk-based tools and new working procedures (guidance), counting on the early involvement of the main urban water management and governance actors (co-creation process) to ensure a wider and faster adoption.
Three case studies (city of Santiago de Compostela, city of Aarhus and city of Amman) have been chosen to obtain data and to elaborate, perform and validate the proposed WATERUN methodology. These case studies have been selected according to different climate conditions, land use and level of implementation of measures for diffuse pollution, in order to validate the tools in different scenarios. Key stakeholders as RTO, industry, public authorities, urban planners and citizens will participate in a continuous co-creation process from a multi-disciplinary approach ensuring that decisions for urban water runoff management are made with complete comprehension of environmental, social and economic dimensions.
In addition to providing solutions for sustainable urban water management, the WATERUN methodology will allow to gain advanced knowledge on diffuse water pollution in cities in a climate change context, thus contributing to protect water bodies and the environment, and ensuring high water quality for all.
Fields of science
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental scienceshydrology
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesenvironmental sciencespollution
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesatmospheric sciencesclimatologyclimatic changes
- social scienceseconomics and businessbusiness and management
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringnatural resources managementwater management
Keywords
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation ActionsCoordinator
36410 Porrino
Spain