Right to water and sustainable financing

Water is a common good, and access to it is a fundamental human right. Water needs to be managed in a socially responsible way to ensure everyone has a fair share, and to secure its conservation for the benefit of future generations.

Aqua Publica Europea works to help its members realise the right to water, and reconcile it with environmental and financial sustainability.

APE Publications and Studies

The public water services of the future

On 17 October 2019, Aqua Publica Europea, the European Association of Public Water Operators, launched its new publication 'The Public Water Services of the Future'. Celebrating its tenth anniversary, the association proposes to outline the role that public water operators across Europe are undertaking, as actors of their communities, fully embedded into their environmental, social, economic and knowledge ecosystems, and striving to contribute to a sustainable future. Based on the long-term strategies and concrete actions of the member operators, the document addresses how they are preparing to address the great challenges of tomorrow and to harness opportunities.

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APE Events

APE Seminar | How to Ensure Water Affordability: Approaches And Challenges

Italy 10 October 2017

On the 10th of October Aqua Publica Europea and Utilitialia, the national federation of Italian utilities, organised a seminar on Water Affordability during the Festival dell Acqua in Bari (Italy). The aim of the seminar was to present the approaches to ensuring the access to water in different European countries, including Belgium, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy and Scotland.
APE Events

WORLD WATER WEEK | Water Operators’ Partnerships Europe: Leveraging utilities, governments & investments for SDGs

Sweden 28 August 2019

Aqua Publica Europea is co-organising, with the European Commission's Directorate General for Development and International Cooperation (DG DEVCO) and with the Global Water Operator Partnership Alliance (GWOPA) a session to discuss the potential of not-for-profit water operator partnerships in the achievement of the global Sustainable Development Goal 6: clean water

News

Water Operator Partnerships: Solidarity to realise the global right to water

The members of Aqua Publica Europea have long been committed to implementing strong not-for-profit partnerships to support access to water and sanitation in developing countries with the set-up of 'Water Operator Partnerships', which are peer-to-peer, decentralised cooperation projects between utilities based on solidarity. Such projects are recognised as highly effective

Members' activities

WORKING GROUP MEETING | Aqua Publica members exchanges on communications campaigns, June 2019

On 27 June, the members of the Working Group on Communication met in Edinburgh (UK) to continue their exchanges on public water operators' campaigns to promote tap water , tackle plastic pollution and encourage careers in the water sector . A lively discussion took place and several members presented their

News

INTERVIEW | Tap water in Belgian restaurants

Aqua Publica Europea met the campaigner behind ' Free Tap Water in Belgian Restaurants' , a campaign which has been gaining traction in Belgium to encourage restaurants to start giving patrons the option to request tap water as their beverage , a practice not so common in the country. The

News

NEWSLETTER | Summer 2019

In our Summer 2019 newsletter we talk about sludge management and public operators' perspectives on the conditions necessary to moves towards more circularity. We also present the public water sector's commitments and actions for transparent and accountable services, as well as for sustainable energy. And whilst we continue working together,

Members' activities

Eau de Paris launches the zero plastic waste water movement

On 29 May 2019, the operator from Paris, Eau de Paris launched a new initiative to tackle single-use plastic pollution and make Paris the first city with plastic waste-free water through a change of habits and citizen mobilisation. Noting that, each year, in France, 8,7 billion litres of water are

Members' activities

Promedio distributes reusable water bottles to reduce waste in schools

In April 2019, the Promedio consortium, gathering the public water operators of the Badajoz province in Spain (Extramadura), distributed 2.000 reusable water bottles in local schools . The objective is to reduce plastic waste whilst also promoting tap water consumption and raising awareness amongst younger generations and families on the

News

PRESS RELEASE | DRINKING WATER: EU Ministers finally move forward on the legislation but more ambition needed in interinstitutional negotiations

The EU Environment Ministers have adopted their position on the Drinking Water Directive to secure access to safe drinking water in Europe. Public water operators welcome this step forward but hope for more ambition before the final legislative adoption. Aqua Publica Europea welcomes the adoption of the Council’s general approach

Members' activities

Aqua Publica's Vice President presents at the conference on 'The management of a common good: access to drinking water for all', Rome

On 8 November 2018, Alessandro Russo (Gruppo CAP), Vice-President of Aqua Publica, presented the perspectives from the municipal water management point of view during the conference organised in Rome (Italy) by the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development: ' The management of a common good: access to drinking water for

News

Aqua Publica participates in discussions on access to water in Spain

On 23 November 2018, Aqua Publica Europea participated in the high-level conference organised by our Spanish member EMASESA (the operator of Seville) in Madrid on ' The Human Right to Water and Tariffs in the Ecologic Transition ' . As the Spanish government is current working on reforming water governance

APE Events

The Human Right to Water and Tariffs in the Ecologic Transition - Madrid, Spain

Spain 23 November 2018

On 23 November, Aqua Publica's Spanish members AEOPAS (Spanish association of public operators) and EMASESA (Sevilla), along with the Instituto Estudios de la Tierra, organise an event on the human right to water and tariffs in policies for the ecologic transition, hosted by the Ministry for the Ecologic Transition in