Today, the European Commission’s proposes updates for the 1998 Drinking Water Directive to increase transparency in the drinking water sector. Danfoss welcomes the proposal as it will drive investments to reduce energy consumption and drinking water leakage, which are two parts of the same coin.

After 20 years in place, the European Commission proposes updates to the Drinking Water Directive to ensure the preservation and improvement of a healthy drinking water supply. The new proposal will increase transparency in the drinking water sector, asking suppliers to inform the public about their energy use and water losses. Both is equally important for the quality of the drinking water to limit contamination risks.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), water losses in public supply are estimated at a staggering 24% in the EU, amounting to 13billion cubic meters. The energy consumption of the EU’s water sector is equivalent to 3.5% of the EU’ electricity consumption and typically represents 30 – 50 % of the local authority’s electricity consumption.

 “Water and energy are too precious to lose. Today’s proposal is a first step towards more energy efficiency and sustainable drinking water treatment in Europe”, says Mads Warming, Danfoss Global Director for Water & Waste Water.  He adds: “Danfoss has the technologies ready to turn the water sector energy neutral and at the same time obtain super low leakage and protect our valuable resources.”    

A case from Denmark shows the incredible potential of the European water sector: Since 2010, the city of Aarhus implemented energy saving measures in the whole water cycle and optimized the energy production from the wastewater facility. Today, the city has succeeded to make the whole water cycle completely energy neutral, and as a side effect, water losses could be reduced to only around 6%, and in 2016, the price of water dropped by 9% for consumers.

The World Economic Forum lists the water crises, the decline in the available quality and quantity of fresh water, amongst the five global risks that will have the biggest impact on society in the next decade. The revision of the Directive should therefore accelerate investments into more sustainable drinking water management and reduce water leakage and energy consumption significantly.

For more information:

Danfoss Media Relations

+45 70 20 44 88

Related links:

http://www.danfoss.com/energy-and-water/#/

Danfoss engineers technologies that enable the world of tomorrow to do more with less. We meet the growing need for infrastructure, food supply, energy efficiency and climate-friendly solutions. Our products and services are used in areas such as refrigeration, air conditioning, heating, motor control and mobile machinery. We are also active in the field of renewable energy as well as district heating infrastructure for cities and urban communities. Our innovative engineering dates back to 1933 and today Danfoss is a world-leader, employing more than 26,000 employees and serving customers in more than 100 countries. We are privately held by the founding family. Read more about us at www.danfoss.com.