NaCoSi – Sustainability controlling of the domestic water management

The goal of the joint project is to develop a sustainability controlling for the domestic water management, thus minimising the risks that compromise sustainable development and improving the viability of the water sector.

Research approach

Today, the municipal water sector works with a range of management systems, e.g. environmental, quality or safety management, benchmarking or hygiene monitoring. The research team is studying the effectiveness of these controlling tools and focusing on potential risks that jeopardise sustainable development. Based on this assessment, the plan is to develop a comprehensive controlling tool.

To this end, ISOE is setting up risk profiles of the domestic water management, together with partners from science and industry. These profiles help companies make strategic and operative decisions. Simulation games are performed to raise awareness with those responsible for managing water and wastewater for the changing ecological and social conditions. The project is using this approach to strengthen the performance and future viability of the municipal water management.

Background

For a municipal water management that sets itself sustainability goals, companies need to recognise trends that influence the demand for domestic water sector services early enough and assess their consequences. In addition to institutional, legal, or economic changes, these include ecological and social dynamics such as climate change or the shortage of skilled workers due to the demographic shift. So far there is no adequate controlling tool that charts and evaluates these influencing factors and consistently aligns them with the overarching goal of minimising sustainability risks.

Research partners

• Technical University Darmstadt, IWAR Institute, Faculty of Water Supply and Groundwater Protection (project coordination)
• Technical University Darmstadt, IWAR Institute, Faculty of Industrial Material Cycles
• Leipzig University, Institute for Infrastructure and Resource Management (IIRM)
• Universität der Bundeswehr Munich, Sanitary Engineering and Waste Management
• ISOE – Institute for Social-Ecological Research (ISOE), Frankfurt/Main
• aquabench GmbH, Hamburg

Municipal utilities and waste disposal partners

• Kommunale Wasserwerke Leipzig (KWL)
• Wirtschaftsbetrieb Mainz AöR
• Verbandsgemeindewerke Winnweiler
• Stadtwerke Gießen AG
• Stadt Pirmasens, Stadtverwaltung Tiefbauamt – Urban water system
• Verbandsgemeinde Brohltal – Sewage plant
• Entsorgungsbetriebe Konstanz
• SOWAG Zittau (Ebersbach and Neugersdorf)
• Entsorgungs- und Wirtschaftsbetrieb Landau
• Eigenbetrieb Stadtentwässerung Stuttgart
• EWE WASSER GmbH, Cuxhaven

Funding

The German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) is funding the project “NaCoSi – Sustainability controlling of domestic water management – risk profile and controlling instruments” within the programme “Research for sustainable development” (FONA). NaCoSi is part of the funding priority “Sustainable water management” (NaWaM).