smart wateruse

Smart WaterUse

Due to its high population density, strong industrialization and climate change, Belgium is increasingly struggling with water stress: the Belgian water stress indicator is 56%, countries start showing stress from an indicator higher than 25%.

It goes without saying that water is an indispensable raw material for companies in the process industry.

Video made by Flanders' Food on the background and objectives of the project, mainly Dutch spoken.

Challenges for the process industry

In spite of a favourable evolution in water consumption and water efficiency of companies, the water stress is worryingly high. Especially the increasing drought has a major impact on the process industry. With the exception of a few larger companies, they do not have a special department that deals with water management on a daily basis, or they are not aware of their own water risks.

Companies need knowledge not only about their own water risks, but also about alternative water sources, suitable monitoring instruments and the legal framework in the field of water management.

In this way, companies can better cope with the external factors that influence their water availability and thus arm themselves against future water shortages.

Solutions of Smart WaterUse

The Smart WaterUse project aims to enable companies to tackle their water and drought-related risks and, as a water-aware company, to be smarter about water management.

  1. Developing the WATERBAROMETER, an online tool 
  2. Research and clustering of knowledge regarding alternative water sources.
  3. Organisation of demonstration workshops that inspire companies in monitoring and data visualisation
  4. Clarifying the legal framework in the field of water management
water barometer

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Project partners

Flanders’ FOOD (projectcoördinator), Centexbel, Watercircle.be, VITO and Universiteit Gent

Project financing

nieuw Vlaio logo

Collective Research & Development and Collective Knowledge Dissemination (COOCK), supported by Vlaio

Project HBC.2019.0105

Cooperation between Flanders’ FOOD (projectcoördinator), Centexbel, Watercircle.be, VITO and Universiteit Gent

1 January 2020 – 31 December 2022