Better (drinking) water quality thanks to WATERPROTECT
WATERPROTECT: What and why?
Guaranteed drinking water quality is of vital importance in daily life. However, more than half of the rivers and water bodies in Europe are of poor quality and 25% are in poor chemical condition. Despite stepped-up policy efforts over the last 30 years t
o improve the quality of drinking water, there is a clear need for renewed commitment. The key challenge in this respect is reducing the pollution of drinking water sources due to the use of pesticides and fertilisers in the agricultural sector.
Purpose of WATERPROTECT
The overall aim of WATERPROTECT is to contribute to the implementation of innovative agricultural systems that should benefit water and drinking water quality. Towards this end, a number of sub-objectives have been identified:
- Development of a multi-actor approach in 7 test areas in Europe where water is polluted with nutrients and pesticides. Farmers, government departments, researchers... will all work together to reduce pollution
- Development of new models for the effective protection of drinking water sources
- Harmonisation of datasets on pesticides and nutrients
- Identification of innovative agricultural systems that benefit water quality
Application of the acquired knowledge in other regions in Europe, on the basis of which a constructive contribution can be made to amending current legislation and drafting new European legislation on the protection of drinking water quality
During this project, VMM will provide a dataset of pesticides in the water catchment area of the Bollaertbeek-Yser Basin (one of the seven test areas). Based on these data and those of the other Flemish partners, farmers in this catchment area can be approached individually and targeted awareness-raising campaigns initiated.
WATERPROTECT in Europe
The WATERPROTECT project has been set up under the Horizon 2020 research programme of the European Commission. The project is part of the work programme: 'food safety, sustainable 
agriculture and forestry, marine and inland water quality, and bioeconomics'. It addresses a specific topic: 'improving agriculture and augmenting drinking water supplies'.
Duration: 01/04/2017 – 01/04/2020
Type of project: Horizon 2020
| Projectpartners | |
|---|---|
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Belgium |
Vlaamse Milieumaatschappij Vlaamse Instelling voor Technologisch Onderzoek N.V. INAGRO VZW Instituut voor Landbouw- en Visserijonderzoek Vlaamse Maatschappij voor Watervoorziening The European Water Partnership European Federation of Bottled Water |
|
Ireland |
TEAGASC – Agriculture and Food Development Authority Glanbia Ingredients Ireland Ltd. Wexford County Council |
|
Denmark |
Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland University of Copenhagen Landbo Limfjord Skive Kommune Danish Waterworks |
|
Italy |
Universita Cattolica Del Sacro Cuore Associazione Piace Cibo Sano Agenzia Regionale Prevenzione E Ambiente Dell'Emilia-Romagna |
|
Spain |
Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas Communitat d'Usuaris d'Aigues de la Vall Baixa i Delta del Llobregat Aigues de Barcelona, Empresa Metropolitana de Gestio del Cicle Integral de L'Aigua Sa Consorci del Parc Agrari del Baix Llobregat |
| Poland |
Panstowy Instytut Geologiczny – Panstowy Instytut Badawczy Instytut Technologiczno-Przyrodniczy Zachodniopomorski Uniwersytet Technologiczny W Szczecinie |
|
United Kingdom |
University of Ulster |
|
Romania |
Ecologic Association Universitatea Technica Cluj-Napoca |
