On 16^th and 17^th of October 2019, Novo mestoDevelopment Center participated in a visit of good water saving practices and its re-use in the Lodzkie region of Poland. 

On 16^th and 17^th of October 2019, a representative of Novo mesto Development Center as an invited stakeholder and representatives of the Municipality of Trebnje, a partner of the AQUARES project (Water reuse policies advancement for resource efficient European regions), participated in a visit of good water saving practices and its re-use in the Lodzkie region of Poland. The purpose of the meeting was to get acquainted with various technological approaches of wastewater treatment, monitoring of water quality and realization of water reuse in different sectors: industry, agriculture, public sector, tourism and recreation.

They visited an advanced technological wastewater treatment plant in Sieradz, the Bilinski factory, where they dye fabrics – they presented how, in cooperation with the University of Łódź, developed a process of wastewater treatment and its reuse according to the principles of the circular economy, an example of ecoremediation and stormwater treatment for the purpose of water retention in Arturowek recreational artificial lake, advanced pool water treatment with diatomite in the Łódź Zatoka Sport complex, while many experts have provided them with information about importance of water reuse (e.g. Cybercomm with innovative application for real-time water quality monitoring).

The study visit was an opportunity to exchange information between experts from different countries. Ten partners from nine countries participate in the AQUARES project, INTERREG EUROPE. In addition to the region of Murcia (Spain), which is a leading project partner, there are also project partners from Greece, Poland, Malta, Italy, Germany, Latvia, Spain, Czech Republic and Slovenia. The aim of the project is to make recommendations - an Action Plan for the Reuse of Water. It seeks, inter alia, to promote the modernization and establishment of gray water re-use infrastructure, to raise awareness of the importance of water re-use, and to seek different financing options for investments in advanced circular water technologies. For more information visit the project website: https://www.interregeurope.eu/aquares/.