1. GWP Consulting Partners Meeting
Urbanization – Preparing the cities of tomorrow
Sustainable Sanitation in Central and Eastern Europe
Richard Muller, GWP Central and Eastern Europe
Port of Spain, Trinidad, 28 June 2014

2. GWP Central and Eastern Europe
Population of
152 million
Area of over
2.03 million
km2
12 countries
in Baltic and
Danube

3. Sanitation in Central and Eastern Europe
Lack of sanitation in small settlements
• 30% of population lives in settlements with less than 2000
inhabitants (= 42 million people)
• 9% of these are so far connected to waste water plants
• Pollution of surface and groundwater → drinking water → water
related diseases
• Lack of awareness, knowledge and application of proper
management and operational practices
According to EU Urban Wastewater Directive, WWTP for
settlements < 2000 PE are not obligatory
• BUT countries are obliged to meet the goals of Water Framework
Directive – to achieve good status of waters

4. Challenges
Capacity and
institutional
setting
Different
legislation
framework
Construction
and proper
operation

5. Sustainable Sanitation Task Force
2007
• Book: Sustainable sanitation in small and
medium settlements
2011
• Questionnaire: Actual status on natural
wastewater treatment
2014
• Guidebook: Natural ways of wastewater
treatment

6. Results of the questionnaire study
Septic tanks
Activated sludge
systems
Nature based
waste water
treatment

7. Activities in 2013 - 2014
Guidebook: Natural ways of wastewater treatment
• Published in Czech and English language
• Peer reviewed by 2 experts in natural and extensive treatment
technologies
• Available on CDs
International workshop in Ljubljana (4-5 April 2014)
• In cooperation with sustainable sanitation and water management
(SSWM) Toolbox, GWP IUWM and GWP ToolBox
• Preparation of the regional project proposal

8. Activities in 2013 - 2014
Cooperation with Women in Europe for a Common Future
• Policy paper on small scale water supply and sanitation in the pan
European region (WHO/UNECE publication)
• Target groups: decision makers on regional, national and local level;
policy arena
• Goal: to highlight the need for explicit programmes and policies to
improve small scale water supply and sanitation
• Chapters: Legislation; Organizational framework and partnership;
Financial aspects; Standards; Networking; Education and
qualifications; Awareness rising; Access to information and public
participation; Water Safety Plan, Resource protection; Sanitation
zoning; Surveillance; Reuse; Household treatment
• Publication by end of 2014

9. Activities in 2013 - 2014
Preparation of project proposal
• Project title: Awareness rising and capacity building on sustainable
water supply and sanitation solutions for small settlements
• Based on the outcomes of questionnaire study on small scale
wastewater treatment
• Work plan of Sustainable Sanitation Task Force
• Submitted to GWPO, 3 years, budget 700,000 €
• Drinking water – wastewater closed cycle (circular economy)
• Green infrastructure and testing ecosystem services provided by
nature-based systems

10. Project proposal
Overcoming institutional and
legislation barriers and wider
application of nature based waste
water plants
Water supply and sanitation
addressed in integrated way → water
security
Gdańsk University of Technology,
Limnos, University of Ljubljana,
Women in Europe for a Common
Future and Women in Sustainable
Development of Moldova

11. Project proposal – work packages
WP1: Increasing awareness and knowledge
• Activity 1.1: Training of trainers on sustainable SSWSS policy and
planning
• Activity 1.2: National workshops on sustainable SSWSS
• Activity 1.3: Translation of the Guidebook: Natural ways of
wastewater treatment into selected languages
WP2: Overcoming institutional and legal barriers
• Activity 2.1: Regional workshop on sustainable SSWSS

12. Project proposal – work packages
WP3: Demonstration Projects
• Activity 3.1: Design and construction of two small plants
• Activity 3.2: Design and implementation of WSP development
• Activity 3.3: Promotion and follow up of the pilot plants
WP4: Dissemination
• Activity 4.1: Preparation and promotion of the awareness rising
brochure in all CEE languages
• Activity 4.2: Website and social media
• Activity 4.3: Dissemination of project activities and results
• WP5: Project management and governance
• Activity 5.1: Project management

13. http://www.gwp.org/en/GWP-CEE/http://www.gwp.org/en/GWP-CEE/