On January 29, 2025, the Botín Foundation’s Water Observatory and the Rosenberg International Forum on Water Policy will held a seminar entitled “Facing the Next Generation of Urban Wastewater Treatment: Policy Approaches from the USA, Chile and Spain” that will bring together different professionals in the field of wastewater management regulation and research.
Wastewater treatment plants are called to remove contaminants from urban wastewater before it is discharged to the water bodies, thus reducing anthropogenic pressure on water bodies. The removal of nutrients and micro-pollutants, however, is still limited and those substances are being found in many water bodies throughout the world affecting freshwater ecosystems and threatening the quality of the water sources used for drinking water supply.
The EU has recently passed a recast of its Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive, which raises the standards in terms of removal of contaminants and control of pollution due to rainwater, while seeking to boost circular economy and energy neutrality of treatment plants. The technology is mature, though the cost of the treatment and the upgrading of the plants supposes a huge governance challenge and the need to explore new ways of financing such as
the Extended Producer Responsibility.
In this workshop, we explore the institutional and socioeconomic challenges posed by the implementation of this Directive in Spain, with a dialogue informed by international experiences on the management of urban wastewater.
The workshop will:
- Explore and compare policy approaches of the EU, the US and other parts of the world the treatment of urban wastewater.
- Seek opportunities for cross-learning and inspiration for innovative practices.
Program
09:30h Opening Ceremony
Alberto Garrido, Professor, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and Director, Water Observatory of the Botín Foundation, Spain
Glenda Humiston, Vice President, Agriculture and Nat. Resources, Univ. California, USA
Soroosh Sorooshian, Rosenberg Forum Chair; Dist. Prof., Civil & Env.Eng. and Earth System Sc. Depts.; Director, Ctr. for Hydrometerology & Remote Sensing, Univ. of California, USA
Moderated by Lucia De Stefano, Associate Professor, Universidad Computense de Madrid and Deputy Director, Water Observatory of the Botín Foundation, Spain
09:40h Keynote Presentation: Overview of Wastewater Treatment Challenges and Solutions
Manzoor Qadir, Deputy Director, United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH), Canada
Moderated by Ariel Dinar, Distinguished Professor, Emeritus, School of Public Policy, University of California, Riverside, USA
Session I: Policy Approaches to Wastewater Management and Treatment in Spain and the United States. Moderated by Erik Porse, Director, California Institute for Water Resources, Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California, USA
10:20h Policy Approach to Wastewaters Management in the US
Erik Porse, Director, California Institute for Water Resources, Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California, USA
10:50h Understanding the Gap in Wastewater Access Through California Experiences
Erik Porse, Director, California Institute for Water Resources, Agriculture and Natural
Resources, University of California, USA
11:05h EU Approach to Urban Wastewater Treatment: Lessons Learned and Challenges from the Negotiation of the 2024 Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive
Carlos Aragón Cruz, Senior technician, Sub-directorate for Hydrological Planning, Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, Spain
11:35h Break
Session II: Insights from Cases Studies. Moderated by Christina Babbitt, Global Water Lead, Starbucks, USA
12:05h Introduction
Christina Babbitt, Global Water Lead, Starbucks, USA
12:10h Policy Approach in Chile and How Corporations are Implementing it and Inspiring Approaches
Guillermo Donoso Harris, Professor, Dept. of Agricultural Economics, and Director, Water Law and Management Center, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile
12:40h The Role of Water Regulators in the Implementation of Water Legislation in EU Member States
Christian Minelli, Head of Secretariat, European Water Regulators (WAREG) and Civil Servant, The Regulatory Authority for Energy, Networks and Environment, Italy
13:10h Forever Chemicals and Wastewater Challenges in the US: A Look at Tucson, Arizona
Andrea Gerlak, Professor, School of Geography, Development and Environment and a Research Professor and Director, Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy, University of Arizona, USA
13:40h Q&A and Discussion
Moderated by: Julia Bucknall, Director, Environmental and Natural Resources, The World Bank, USA, and Lucia De Stefano, Associate Professor, Complutense University of Madrid and Deputy Director, Water Observatory of the Botín Foundation, Spain
14:20h Closing Remarks
Alberto Garrido, Director, Water Observatory of the Botín Foundation and Professor, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain
Erik Porse, Director, California Institute for Water Resources, Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California, USA
14:30h Adjourn
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The event will be held on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, at the Botín Foundation’s headquarters in Madrid (c/ Castelló, 18 C).
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