EWP Water Stewardship Scheme: Guidance towards Sustainable and Effective Response Strategies in Operational Water Management Sabine von Wirén-Lehr (Program Coordinator) Water Resource Efficiency Workshop, Copenhagen 16 th of June 2011

- The EWP Water Stewardship scheme (EWS) has been developed within the stakeholder process of the Water Stewardship Program - The Water Stewardship scheme operates within the context of EU Policy and will ultimately contribute to the current flagship activities of the European Commission to achieve “Resource Efficiency” and to prepare the “European Blueprint”. Background

European Water Stewardship Standard (EWSS) + Glossary + Guideline Inspection and Certification Scheme Communication Guidelines (under development) EWP Water Stewardship Scheme (EWS)

Reward Life Cycle Analysis Impacts Volume Accounting Management Communication Footprinting: understanding Stewardship: responding EWP Water Stewardship Program: Footprinting and Stewardship

EWP Water Stewardship Program : Benefits SectorBenefits Private ● Mitigation of physical water and political water risks ● Preparation for WFD implementation ● Profiling of corporate activities and brands ● Development of new market opportunities Public ● Support for effective policy implementation ● Scheme to pilot test at river basin level Civil Society ● Promotion of sustainable water management ● Reduction of impacts of concern

Physical risk –Water supply and quality Regulatory risk – Uncertainty Reputational risk – Social license to operate Financial risk –Threats to the bottom line, direct costs and investment related Operational Risks

2009 Standard Development Launch of WGs Set up draft Water Stewardship Standard 2011 Implementation Application as business case Pilot Studies 2 nd Round 2010 Validation Pilot Studies 1st Round EWP Water Stewardship Program Aquawareness Strategic Partners Water Stewardship Partners

GovernmentalAgencies European Institutions Institutions Research Local & Regional Institutions Private Business NGOs EWP Water Stewardship Program: Host

2009 Standard Development Launch of WGs Set up draft Standard for SWM Phase I 2010 Validation Pilot Studies 1 st Round Phase II 2011 Implementation Application as business case Pilot Studies 2 nd Round Phase III EWP Water Stewardship Program

Program Phase I: Focus for Standard Sustainable Water Abstraction Equitable Water Governance Good Water Status High Conservation Value Areas 4 Principles

Based on major impacts of water use Developed and approved by 10 month multi-stakeholder process and external experts Pilot tested 55 indicators: Structure of the EWSS (v3.3) PrinciplesCriteriaIndicators P128 majors 3 minors P2311 majors 2 recommendations P313 minors 1 recommendations P4910 majors 11 minors 6 recommendations

Principle 1 ImpactWater Abstraction PrincipleAchieve and maintain sustainable water abstraction in terms of water quantity Criteria ● Evaluate water abstraction from all sources: – Volume – Location – Timing – Effect Indicator ● Classification of sources ● Measuring water abstraction: – Effect on water abstraction on source – Water source flow regime issues EWSS Structure: Principle 1

Principle 2 ImpactWater Quality PrincipleEnsure the achievement and maintenance of good status in terms of chemical quality and biological elements Criteria ● Effluent quality ● Affected destinations by discharge ● Local issues of water quality Indicator ● Identification of potential/actual pollutants ● Main pollutants – priority substances ● Effluent discharge – quality monitoring ● Eutrophication potential ● Sensitive areas ● Local issues due to non-chemical pollution EWSS Structure: Principle 2

Principle 3 ImpactHigh Conservation Value (HCV) areas PrincipleRestore and preserve water-cycle related HCV areas Criteria ● Impact on changes in water status and linked ecological processes outside the natural range of variation Indicator ● Identification of HCV areas ● Identification of impacts on water status ● Description of wetland habitat management efforts ● Impact on other HCV areas (social, cultural, etc.) EWSS Structure: Principle 3

Principle 4 ImpactEquitable Water Governance PrincipleAchieve equitable and transparent water governance Criteria ● Compliance with legal requirements ● WM in supply chain (on hold) ● WM linked to management of other sources ● Water efficiency ● GMPs – Awareness raising – Continuous improvement ● Internal/external WM transparency ● Economic transparency Indicator ● Water resource management strategy ● Water Recycling strategy - Identification of water losses ● Description of GMPs – Participation in RB Committees ● Dissemination of the operational water management ● Investments – Incentive systems – Environmental cost analysis EWSS Structure: Principle 4

EWSS Example Principle 1. Achieve and maintain sustainable water abstraction in terms of water quantity. Explanation: Sustainable Water Management shall achieve and maintain sustainable water abstraction from all sources, and maintain or restore environmental flow regime in all catchments where it has a significant influence. Therefore, the abstraction and use of water from all sources shall be evaluated by the water manager. Criterion 1.1 The total and the net water abstraction shall be quantified and monitored by source. Indicator Major Are all sources with a legal permit and which are used for water abstraction, fully documented and regularly updated? For example: Self-supply sources:  Groundwater (specify renewable groundwater and fossil water)  Surface (fresh) water (including water from wetlands, rivers, lakes or artificial and heavily modified surface water bodies) Alternative sources:  Rainwater collection.  Recycled water.  Desalinated water. From public/private water system:  Municipal water (tap, drinking, supply water).  Public Water Services (PWS) = Water utilities. Other Major Are all sources without a legal permit and which are used for water abstraction, fully documented and regularly updated? Major Is the water volume abstracted from each source as identified above quantified, monitored and recorded? Provide a general table including:  Abstracted water per year/ per source  Abstracted water per sensitive period / per source  Abstracted water per month / per source Calculate the water consumption per source: total water abstraction minus water discharge for each source Major For irrigation only: Is the water volume used for irrigation quantified, monitored and reported? Specify:  Different irrigated areas or crops  Water use on a daily and monthly basis

What about Economics? ● Criterion 4.9: Economic Transparency –Are investments for maintenance and improvement transparent and fully reported? –Are incentive systems in place that support the implementation of SWM? –Is an environmental cost analysis in place?

What about Efficiency? ● Criterion 4.3: Link of water management to the management of other sources –Are the water use and energy requirements optimized and is an integrated water and energy management plan in place? –Energy input in irrigation documented? ●Criterion 4.4: Efficiency of water consumption through the increase of recycling and the reduction of losses – Is recycling of water implemented? – Are water losses identified? Is there a strategy to reduce losses? – Is water consumption per unit product quantified?

2009 Standard Development Launch of WGs Set up draft Standard for SWM Phase I 2010 Validation Pilot Studies 1 st Round Phase II 2011 Implementation Application as business case Pilot Studies 2 nd Round Phase III EWP Water Stewardship Program

What is the role of pilots? Standard Development Awareness + Ownership of Water Stewardship Approach Pilot Organizations Set of applicable tools and award systems

Pilot Studies: Current Status Pilot organizations: Industry Agriculture Golf Urban Areas

2009 Standard Development Launch of WGs Set up draft Standard for SWM Phase I 2010 Validation Pilot Studies 1 st Round Phase II 2011 Implementation Application as business case Pilot Studies 2 nd Round Phase III EWP Water Stewardship Program

Outcome Piloting Where are the major draw-backs / the highest innovation? – Establishment of an integrative water management strategy – Data documentation and monitoring according to (new) WFD requirements – Evaluation of operational water use on river basin scale – Involvement of HCVs

Outcome Piloting Added value – Identify balanced solutions / responses – Thinking „out of the box“ – Integration of water management in operational strategy – River basin approach

I. Provides guidance for operations’ improvement -Gives guidance to analyze operational water management from a different perspective involving the river basin scale -Reveals critical points and risks of operational water management -Prepares the operation for implementation of legal requirements linked to water II. Facilitates external communication -Facilitates public communication -Facilitates the link with public authorities or water suppliers / waste water treatment services -Provides a signal to shareholders, investors and the sector Operational added value Added value of Water Stewardship Assessment for pilot organizations

Contact and information and Dr Sabine von Wirén-Lehr Program Coordinator European Water Partnership (EWP)