2 nd International Conference Graz October , 10 th 2012

1. 2nd International Conference GrazOctober, 10th 2012 Techniques to save water quantity PP5 (LCA)PPs: LCA, LfULG, RNA

2. Overview • Aim and importance of the adaptation • The techniques to save water quantity • The steps needed to adopt the techniques • The obstacles encountered and how these can be approached

3. Aim and importance of the adaptation • Evaluate and develop techniques to save water quantity to be transferred to other countries • High and rapid increase in the demand for water • Higher temperatures and variability in precipitation patterns • Promotes sustainable groundwater management and sustainable future planning throughout the EU

4. Malta • No surface waters of economical importance • Groundwater (44%) and Desalination process (56%) • 4 out of 15 groundwater bodies classified as at risk of failing to achieve the WFDs due to groundwater quantity • Both Mean Sea Level Groundwater Bodies yield 66% of the total groundwater extracted in the country • Annual abstraction exceeding the mean annual recharge Source: MRA, 2011

5. Techniques • Regulation of the private water supply operators • Metering of private groundwater abstraction sources • Increase the capacity of rainwater runoff storage facilities • Pilot projects on water demand management and supply augmentation measures

6. Germany • Rich in water resources (188 billion m3 ) • Some regions can only use a limited volume of water • Groundwater is the source of approximately 75% of Germany’s drinking water • Few water bodies are of poor quantitative status (4%) • Quantitative deficiencies occur due to mining activities

7. Techniques • Regulation and laws (water laws, drinking water protection area) • Artificial groundwater recharge mostly by bank filtration • Most of the 80 dams in the country are linked in a composite system, in order to allow prolonged dry periods to be bridged • Monitoring of the available water resources • Stormwater management methods

8. How to achieve these water saving techniques? • Water awareness • Education and Politics • Encourage local stakeholders to use TSE for agricultural purposes • Revise current local policies and legislations • Promoting water use efficiency measures in different sectors of the economy

9. Water Price • Enforce new legislations on boreholes to meter the quantity of water extracted from each borehole • Increase control on urban water demand through tariffs • Monitor and conduct frequent spot checks to minimise water theft and billing anomalies • Minimise water network leakages such as service-pipe leakages through better infrastructural techniques

10. Private and Public water saving measures • Stop function for toilet flushing • Self-closing water taps • Water saving shower heads, pressure regulators • Water efficient washing machines and dishwashers

11. Rainwater Management • Private household rainwater can be used for irrigation and toilet flushing • Water conserving operations in agricultural and industrial sectors • Promote the collection of stormwater runoff through better water management infrastructure techniques

12. Obstacles encountered and how to tackle them • Consumption patterns may be difficult to change • Public perception is very hard to change • Regular meetings organised with stakeholders to evaluate their current activities and advise them to adopt water saving techniques

13. Lack of public awareness • Stakeholders participate in information meetings, conferences, and onsite sessions on the benefits of using specific techniques to save water quantity • Informative documentation to the public should be made available promoting the techniques to save water quantity in each economic sector

14. Limited water management infrastructure to save water quantity • Techniques to safeguard water quantity exist but these require efforts from the authorities to be implemented • Strategic assessments are required to identify the areas where water management infrastructure to save water quantity can operate • Techniques and systems are more or less expensive • Costs and efforts to provide sufficient water for household, agriculture and industry are expensive • Infrastructure is costly and should be flexible

15. Conclusion • Promote sustainable techniques to save water quantity • All methods and techniques to save water quantity are useless unless we address the problem of poor water quality

16. Thank you Emma Cassar Water Resource Specialist,AIS Environmental Limitedwww.aisenvironmental.com