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WATER COOPERATION, SUSTAINABILITY AND POVERTY ERADICATIONPreparing Denmark for climate changesJan Tøibner, Aarhus Water Ltd.Denmark is among the best in the world when it comesto water supply and wastewater purification. Amongother things, this is due to a close and fruitful cooperationbetween public water supply companies, forward-lookingmunicipalities, high-tech companies in the water industry andinnovative research and educational institutions. Danish watersolutions resonate internationally, and the country’s largestsuppliers of water and wastewater are ready to contributeinternationally with the most recent knowledge and solutions inclimate adaptation, energy optimization, green energy production,reduction of water consumption and improvement ofdrinking water quality.One of the biggest issues facing the Danish water industry at presentis handling the global climate changes which affect the low-lyingparts of Denmark in the event of torrential rainstorms and risingwater levels. Even though the country benefits from large groundwaterreservoirs, its water resources are constrained. These challengestransgress municipal boundaries. Therefore, efforts now focus onestablishing greater units and new collaborations, so that watersupply companies will be better prepared to meet the challengesof the future – both in terms of competence and technology – byworking together nationally. For example, the three largest watersupply companies in Denmark, Hofor, Vandcenter Syd and AarhusVand, have started working together regionally, nationally andinternationally in the fields of security of supply, the environment,energy and sustainability to name a few. One aim of this cooperationis to contribute to the establishment of sustainable cities and smartcities, for instance by exploiting rainwater.Working with the entire water life cycleAarhus Vand A/S (Aarhus Water Ltd.) is one of the leading companiesin the Danish water industry, and it works with the entirelife cycle of water – from consumers turning on the tap for adrink of fresh water, to the return of purified wastewater fromhouseholds and industries to nature. The company operates in thefield of drinking water and wastewater treatment in the city andits surrounding rural areas, working with the treatment, distributionand collection of wastewater. Cooperating closely with AarhusKommune, Aarhus Vand is in charge of planning and executinga wide variety of environmental and urban development projectswhich take climate changes into consideration.This requires Aarhus Vand to develop intelligent and future-proofsolutions. Therefore, the company has a long-standing traditionof taking part in research and development projects at home andabroad. It aims to be at the forefront of both knowledge and technologyin the water and wastewater industry, and to ensure thatit continues to attract the foremost experts in the water sector.These projects will support and improve Aarhus Vand’sknowledge of the activities it wants to initiate to obtainnot only better and cheaper plants, products, servicesand working processes, but also an environmental gain.The purpose of taking part in research and developmentprojects is that they lead to the implementationof new technology and methods. Many good and usableresults have been brought about by Aarhus Vand’s closecooperation with researchers, advisers and internationally-focusedcompanies in the water industry. Oneexample is the testing of a new and efficient bottomaeration system and the advanced online control of oneof the company’s water treatment plants, resulting ina 45 per cent reduction in CO 2emissions and powerconsumption in wastewater treatment.Another example is the full-scale system the companyhas installed to remove phosphorus from wastewaterbased on a pilot project. This system reduces the operatingcosts of the water treatment plant and producesstruvite, a clean and environmentally friendly fertilizercontaining high levels of phosphorus, which is a scarceresource. The plant is a lighthouse project and the onlyone of its kind in Denmark.A third example is the Energy Smart Water Utilitiesproject, which includes an examination of the energypotential of water by Aarhus Vand and several partnersacross the water and energy sector. This is done byusing water pressure to produce power and by movingpower consumption in the water industry from dayto night, thereby exploiting renewable energy in thewater sector.Another important topic for Aarhus Vand is tomake water visible in the town. The company benefitsfrom more than 10 years of experience in opening upthe city of Aarhus and making water visible, facilitatingthe use of water as a recreational element. At thesame time, this visibility also protects the city againstfloods caused by torrential downpour. Examplesinclude the uncovering of the river that runs throughAarhus city centre and the creation of the two lakes,Aarslev Engsø and Egå Engsø, which purify waterfrom fields while also serving as large reservoirs. Ata national level, Aarhus Vand takes part in the ‘Vandi byer’ (Water in cities) project along with AarhusKommune among others. This is the biggest Danishresearch project with an overall focus on the climateadaptation of Danish cities, their infrastructure andtheir water supply structure.[ 237 ]