Introduction
The collaborative projects in WavE II investigate partly very similar parameters in the different main topics of water reuse. In particular, analytical parameters (trace substances, microbial parameters, ecotoxicological investigations and accompanying parameters) are investigated in different matrices.
The aim of the cross-sectional topic "Analytics, Monitoring, Surveillance" is to develop a common overall view of parameters and possible indicators in order to identify overlaps and to create synergies between the projects. A harmonized pooling of data from the funding action is considered very valuable.
Activities and results to date
In December 2021, an initial expert meeting was held with participants from seven collaborative projects from the two thematic fields of "Water reuse through the use of treated municipal wastewater" and "Recycling of industrially used water". In the exchange, first activities regarding analytics in the projects were presented and discussed. Furthermore, results from completed projects, also from the BMBF funding measure RiSKWa and the joint project ASKURIS, on organic indicator substances for the water cycle were presented.
Right at the beginning, a common list of various parameters was compiled and intersections were identified. Even though the focus between water reuse in agriculture and industry is different, commonalities and overlaps were identified. This was then filled in by the collaborative projects in terms of the parameters each examined, thus creating a solid basis for discussion.
A second technical meeting in May 2022 was attended by a total of nine collaborative projects from all three thematic areas of the funding measure. At the meeting, the results of the first survey were discussed. The comprehensive set of parameters confirms numerous commonalities, but as expected also reveals significant differences, depending on the area of application. In the expert meeting, it was jointly decided to further develop the existing table. For this purpose, a further developed, more detailed survey on the analytical parameters with sample preparations, measuring methods, etc. was initiated.
The third technical meeting took place in October 2022, with a total of ten collaborative projects participating. In the meeting, current analytical activities, progress and findings from the individual projects and results of the extensive second survey were presented and discussed.
In the course of the third expert meeting, the wish was expressed to initiate a separate meeting of the four collaborative projects from the topic area "Water reuse through the use of treated municipal wastewater". Against the background of the current discussion on the national implementation of the "EU Regulation on minimum requirements for water reuse for agricultural irrigation" (EU 2020/741) and the preparation of the new DWA leaflet series M-1200 on water reuse, a subgroup "Microbiology" met with the respective experts from the four collaborative projects in December 2022. The intensive detailed discussion round on microbiological parameters for agricultural water reuse was used to develop and agree on a uniform set of parameters with detection methods applied in each case. The collaborative projects would like to synchronize as many parameters as possible to achieve better comparability and transferability later. A further exchange of this subgroup is being pursued.
Outlook
In further activities on the cross-sectional topic, a continuous exchange on progress and results and a corresponding evaluation of the detailed parameter overviews shall take place. Furthermore, ideas for exploiting the results are to be discussed and implemented in order to create overall results from the funding measure that are as well coordinated as possible.
In addition, an exchange with the cross-cutting topics "Digitization" and "Implementation of projects" will be aimed for.
