The second general assembly of the H2OforAll project took place online on the 5th of June. The consortium meeting brought together leading researchers, industry partners, and the advisory board to discuss progress, share insights, and strategize for the next phases of collaborative innovation.
A public debate was organized by H2OforAll, IntoBDP, and SafeCREW sister projects as part of the EU Green Weeks partner event. The debate aimed to raise awareness about DBPs. The online session included a debate titled “Is it the end of the chlorination age? Or is it the end of chlorination as we know it?” chaired by Roberta Maffettone from the European Commission, and a panel discussion emphasizing the importance of consumer and citizen involvement. The event was broadcast live online.
H2O for All and SafeCREW hosted a webinar on natural organic matter as disinfection by-product precursors. The guest speaker, Jean-Philippe Croue, discussed their origin, characteristics, and reactivity. Scientists from both the SafeCREW and H2OforAll projects presented two novel approaches for DBP precursor removal.
The Webinar 2, “DBPs – Monitoring, Treatment, and Regulation,” in collaboration with the SafeCREW project, was a great success! Over 50 attendees joined us.
SafeCREW presented on monitoring Trihalomethanes (THM) at low concentrations in water, while H2OforAll discussed technologies for minimizing disinfection byproducts in drinking water. Dr. Kevin Letterly from the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators (ASDWA) provided insights into the regulatory aspects of DBPs in the United States.
This webinar highlighted key topics in water quality and public health, emphasizing our ongoing commitment to addressing these challenges. Stay tuned for more learning opportunities!
Recording here
Around 40 participants from various countries, including Portugal, Australia, Algeria, Brazil, Canada, Greece, Latvia, Hungary, Liberia, Turkey, Romania, and Ukraine attended this online event. The event started with a summary of the findings related to prevention measures. Later, the participants discussed different methods and measures applied in their respective countries to reduce Disinfectant By-Products (DBPs) in drinking water. The discussion covered seven topics, which were as follows:
1. DBPs of concern in your country
2. Monitoring
3. Risk management and assessment
4. Legal framework
5. Collaborations and research
6. Reporting requirements
7. Regulation approach – with regard to the future of disinfection practices.
Summary report here
A webinar was organized between two projects, H2OforAll and SafeCREW, which are both members of the ZeroPollution4Water cluster. Around 90 participants attended the event and had the opportunity to learn about the projects and their contributions to our future and drinking water quality. The webinar began with an introduction of both projects, followed by a presentation on a specific topic. H2OforAll presented an explanation about DBPs formation and their potential impact on human health and the environment. Meanwhile, SafeCREW discussed halogenated sulfonic acids, which is a class of extremely polar DBPs that have been overlooked by the generic analytical method. The event also had a guest speaker, Professor Urs Von Gunten, who is a leading scientist in the field of oxidation and disinfection processes, with many years of experience. He focused on explaining the kinetics and mechanisms of disinfection byproducts formation.
Recording here
The meeting was held at University of Gdansk, the meeting included presentations of each work package and a dedicated work session for general discussion about DBPs and analytics. A presentation about the clustering activities to be performed within the ZeroPolution4water cluster was also included.
The University of Coimbra researchers participated in the “Water – an Unfiltered exhibition” and showcased the development of their H2OforAll project. The exhibition aimed to raise awareness about the basic right to drinking water, using science, technology, and the collective commitment of all of us. It invited visitors to explore various aspects of the availability and use of this vital resource in a positive and engaging way. This exhibition was held as part of the International Decade for Action on Water for Sustainable Development and is aligned with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6, which aims to ensure water and sanitation for all by 2030. Visitors were able to witness how the innovative technologies developed through the H2OforAll project will help prevent, monitor, and decontaminate drinking water, ensuring the highest quality for our consumption.
The H2OforAll team presented the project at the European Researchers’ Night. The European Researchers’ Night is a science communication event that takes place every year in various European cities, with the aim of raising awareness and involving the population in science, bringing researchers and civil society closer together. Participants had the chance to interact with researchers from different scientific fields (health, culture, security, digital, space, energy, climate and food).
The programme included practical activities, experiments and demonstrations, where scientists showcased their projects and where the public had the opportunity to connect with more than 600 researchers from 30 UC Research and Development units, museums and science centres.
H2OforAll partners visited Águas de Coimbra (AC), the company that manages the water distribution network in Coimbra city.
The water supply system under the responsibility of AC starts at the suppliers’ delivery points and is composed of 53 water tanks, about 1200 km of water pipes, 37 pumping stations and all devices from the distribution network to end users.
AC guarantees the water distribution to the end user about 85 000 clients of Coimbra city.
