A pioneering global partnership of three major water companies was launched at the World Water Congress & Exhibition in Copenhagen last week, setting out a mission to forge the next generation of sustainable wastewater management for customers, while reducing carbon emissions to net-zero by 2030.

Danish company Aarhus Vand, Australian water corporation Melbourne Water, and the UK’s Severn Trent, will join forces to co-create the development of technologies and innovations to make wastewater treatment greener, and begin to establish new international standards for measuring and reporting emissions, as the industry looks towards a carbon neutral future.

Together, the three companies have committed to work together to reduce their carbon emissions by around a million tonnes and aim to lead the green transformation of the sector. Through this world-leading collaboration the partners will build upon their experience, expertise, and innovation capacities on key complementary projects such as:

• Transforming one of Severn Trent’s sewage treatment facilities in the UK into a Net Zero hub, dedicated to researching and testing the latest carbon neutral wastewater treatment technologies at an industrial scale.
• Developing new techniques to measure and record nitrous oxide and methane releases from wastewater treatment sites, and establishing new, more accurate, international measurement standards based on this.
• Identifying ways to enhance current wastewater treatment sites with green technology that optimises the performance and efficiency of facilities while reducing emissions to net zero.
• Maximising the use of renewable, sustainable resources at treatment facilities
• Gathering and sharing information on the technical and economic feasibility of options to reduce emissions, creating a roadmap for the industry to achieve net zero most efficiently, at the best value for customers.

For further information read the news release here.