A1. Completed projects

1. CABARDINE
   

   As part of EYATH’s participation in the European GABARDINE project aimed at understanding groundwater artificial recharge, we conducted tests on groundwater recharge mainly using processed wastewater. This research action took place in a specially designed application site in Sindos over the period 2005-2008. In addition, in the summer of 2007 the company became a trailblazer as the first company in Greece to run an irrigation programme in the Halastra – Kalochori area using treated wastewater from the Thessaloniki Wastewater Treatment Facility.

2. CC–WATER
   

   During the period 2009-2012, the company took part in the European project “Climate Change and Impacts on Water Supply, CC-WaterS”, the main objective of which was to acquire experience in managing water resources, particularly with respect to how these are affected by climate change. The project included 18 partners from 9 countries in South East Europe within the framework of Territorial Cooperation of the South East Europe Transnational Cooperation Programme.
   The project was 85% co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and 15% by national contributions.
   As part of CC-WaterS, the company:

   1. Procured scientific measuring instruments which were installed at the springs in Aravissos and at Megala Livadia Paikou.
   2. Actively participated with its scientific personnel in meetings abroad with the other partners and attended by scientists specialising in climate change and water resources.
   3. In cooperation with project partner Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, staged meetings for programme participants in June 2009, May 2010 and January 2012 in Thessaloniki.

   http://www.ccwaters.eu/ and http://www.southeast-europe.net/en/projects/approved_projects/?id=65

3. CC-WARE
   

   CC-WARE, a continuation of CC-WaterS, was a European research project (2012-2014) aimed at:

   1. Assessing the current status of water resources and developing projections for the future based on a common methodology.
   2. Developing water management scenarios, taking into account the potential of ecosystems (forests, wetlands, grasslands, peri-urban areas) in maintaining the quality and quantity of drinking water.
   3. Developing an integrated transnational strategy to enhance water resources in South East Europe.
   4. Preparing a risk map for drinking water resources in the South East Europe region,
   5. Development of a joint methodology with vulnerability indicators (climatic, hydrological, geographical, socio-economic) to document ecosystem capacity by region in relation to the quality and quantity of waters in SE Europe,
   6. The interdisciplinary presentation of alternative management options for mitigating vulnerability of drinking water resources, along 4 axes related to climate change: 1. land use change, 2. ecosystem services, 3. improving water use efficiency, and 4. economic incentives for water management

   Participants included 14 partners from 7 EU Member States (Greece, Austria, Italy, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovenia) and 3 non-EU countries at the time of joining the programme (Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia Herzegovina), along with research institutes and end users (water supply companies like EYATH S.A.)

   https://www.ccware.eu/ and http://www.southeast-europe.net/en/projects/approved_projects/?id=264

4. Real – t- SO
   

   The Real-t-SO (a real-time operation tool to monitor combined sewage overflows in coastal cities) programme was co-funded under the SYNERGASIA 2011 National Action – Partnerships of Productive and Research Bodies on Focused Research & Technological Sectors.
   It ran for 30 months, during the period 2012-2015.
   Partners:
   – Thessaloniki Water Supply and Sewerage Co. (EYATH) S.A. – www.eyath.gr
   – kartECO – Environmental and Energy Engineering Consultants – www.karteco.gr
   – Aristotle University of Thessaloniki – www.civil.auth.gr
   – Democritus University of Thrace – www.fmenr.duth.gr http://www.realtso.gr/en/index.html

   http://realtso.karteco.gr/

5. Powerstep
   

   EYATH S.A. was included in a network of 10 European water and sewer companies conducting energy efficiency assessments of wastewater treatment plants as part of the European Union Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Framework Programme – POWERSTEP (2015-2018). http://www.powerstep.eu/

A2. Projects in progress

1. Smart Water: A smart infrastructure for remote water consumption and water demand management systems.

   The Smart Water project (“Smart infrastructure for remote water consumption and water demand management systems” is a research partnership between EYATH S.A., the telecom company Apifon, and the Information and Communication Technologies Institute of the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH). It focuses on the following objectives:
   1) Designing model integrated infrastructure to smartly manage the water supply network which will utilise remote measuring and remote control technologies to offer innovative services to the water supply company and end consumer.
   2) R&D on alternative technologies to implement the remote measurement and more control network, via a pilot scheme under real conditions in Thessaloniki’s urban environment, to test and evaluate their reliability and efficiency.
   3) R&D and pilot testing of the water consumption data management, imaging and analysis system to support decision-making, automatically identify incidents thanks to alerts, provide personalised information to consumers and provide the water supply company with automated procedures.
   4) Evaluation of the infrastructure overall, based on criteria such as business performance, ease-of-use and reliability, cost-benefit for the water supply company, user/consumer satisfaction and financial return on the investment.

   Partners:
   Apifon telecom company (coordinating body)
   EYATH S.A.
   Multimedia, Database and IT Systems Research Unit, Information and Communication Technologies Institute of the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH).

   Start: 2018
   Co-funding: as part of the Unified Action of Government Aid for Research Projects “Research – Create – Innovate”, from the EU (ERDF) and national resources under the Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Operational Programme 2014-2020 (EPAnEK) (NSRF 2014-2020)

2. Degradation of micro-pollutants in wastewater using catalytic ozonation
   

   Funding framework: RESEARCH – CREATE – INNOVATE Main partners: AKTOR S.A. – AUTh Start: Spring 2018 EYATH S.A. is supporting this project by offering its facilities at the Aeneia Wastewater Treatment Facility, where the project will be implemented on a pilot basis. The objective of the proposed project is to expand development and test the application of an effective and cost-efficient method of removing micro-pollutants and the soluble non-biodegradable residual organic load (dissolved organic carbon-DOC) in real conditions from the outflow of an urban wastewater treatment facility.

   Main partners: AKTOR S.A. – AUTh
   Start: Άνοιξη 2018
   Co-funding: as part of the Unified Action of Government Aid for Research Projects “Research – Create – Innovate”, from the EU (ERDF) and national resources under the Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Operational Programme 2014-2020 (EPAnEK) (NSRF 2014-2020)

3. “Enhancing standardization strategies to integrate innovative technologies for safety and security in existing water networks, aqua 3S” (start: 09/2019 – Duration: 3 years)
   

   The aqua3S project is expected to impact on the safety and security of the water supply system in the greater Thessaloniki metropolitan area. Its objective is to highlight the best combination of modern, online instrumentation and optimal water supply network topography to identify a range of pollutants and to prevent accidental and/or deliberate pollution of drinking water. Additionally, the outcomes of the project will determine suitable mitigating measures and actions for monitoring water resources, communication procedures amongst competent rapid response inspectorates, information-gathering methods for use of social media, etc. This will showcase the general rules and procedures for incorporation into a fixed, standardised methodology for responding to emergencies in order to safeguard the quality of the end product. The project is being overseen by the Research Programme Office.

   Co-funding:  στα πλαίσιο του Ευρωπαϊκού Προγράμματος Η2020
   Start: 09/2019 – Duration: 3 years

1. RESEARCH PROGRAMME TO STUDY THE IMPACT OF APPLYING SLUDGE TO EXPERIMENTAL FARM CROPS.
   

   Research project funded by EYATH S.A. under contract with Aristotle University of Thessaloniki’s Special Account for Research Grants to conduct the scientific study “Impact of adding processed sludge from biological treatment to the natural, chemical and biochemical properties of soil on yield, composition and quality of wheat and maize”. The project duration was 31 months, and ended in December 2018.

2. STUDY OF SLUDGE ECOTOXICOLOGICAL PARAMETERS

   The European Commission has been studying the ecotoxicological parameters of waste in recent years, as part of the process of revising end-of-waste criteria and their potential hazardousness. Conducting ecotoxicological analyses of sludge is considered an effective method of assessing the environmental footprint of substances that may be released into the soil and/or water bodies (underground or surface). Essentially, during the study of ecotoxicological parameters of sludge, samples will be extracted using standard international methods. Necessary tests will then be carried out on the extracts to assess their toxicity on aquatic micro-organisms and plant organisms-bioindicators.

   Start of contract: 02/04/2018, Duration: 15 months
   Funding organisation: EYATH S.A.
   Contractor: Dept. of Civil Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

3. THERMAIKOS BAY QUALITY MONITORING PROGRAMME

   To study the marine environment close to the two submerged waste disposal pipes from the two waste treatment plants, and along the coastline near the White Tower, the company entered into a self-financed agreement with the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki’s Special Account for Research Grants and the Dept. of Civil Engineering to implement the “Thermaikos Bay Quality Monitoring Programme”. 3 sailings took place in 2018 (in spring, summer and autumn).

4. STUDY TO IDENTIFY PHARMACEUTICALS AND PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS (PPCPs)

   The contract to “Identify pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) at EYATH’s two wastewater treatment facilities (Thessaloniki and Ainea)” are in the area of protection of the marine environment and includes the Environmental Pollution Testing Lab of the AUTh Dept of Chemistry. The study is being conducted from May 2018 to May 2019.This research programme involves the systematic testing for PPCPs in wastewater at the two wastewater treatment facilities at AINEIA and SINDOS. The testing consists of collecting samples from the entry and exit of the processing units to evaluate PPCP concentration levels in wastewater, and to assess the degree of removal. The project primarily aims at combining and applying chemical techniques to assess the presence, progress and impact of pharmaceuticals on the environment.

• During the period June-December 2018, the company – in close cooperation with the Municipality of Thessaloniki – became a member of the City Water Resilience Framework (CWRF) at the invitation of ARUP and the 100 Resilient Cities. The programme aims at developing an international standard framework to assess resilience in the water supply sector that every city will be able to apply to its own water basin. This approach is intended to give cities added impact with powers to influence partners from the entire drainage basin in order to make joint decisions towards achieving greater resilience.
• During 2018, the company engaged its scientific personnel (in situ research activity) to explore and implement the use of satellite images as a remote sensing tool to monitor the surface water it manages to produce drinking water.
• Also in 2018, it took part in the process of establishing an expert advisory group with organisations from all over Europe and submitting a thematic proposal as part of the European Space Agency’s R&D strategy aimed at developing pioneering know-how on the use of biofilm in water and sewage treatment systems. The proposal was approved and the consultation project, to begin in 2019, will run for two years.
• As part of the effort to protect seas from pollution and promote pollution clean-up and recycling in the spirit of a circular economy, EYATH worked with Aegean Rebreath to clean the underwater and coastal area around Aretsou marina in June 2018. The action also aimed to foster a climate of environmental awareness and educate the local population.