Smart WaterUse

Smart WaterUse is an intercluster COOCK project coordinated by Flanders' FOOD in which Blue Cluster will take on some responsibilities as a subcontractor. The following activities will be started:

• Collective knowledge transfer, raising awareness and networking on water risk management;
• Water audits at companies to gain insight into sector-related water risks;
• Development of an online smart water tool: a Water Barometer tool which identifies how water-conscious a company is, how it deals with water risks and how well it is armed against potential current and future drought risks. The Water Barometer tool provides a number of scenarios for alternative use of water, as well as a proposal for possible drought measures
• Techno-economic feasibility of alternative water sources, where less suitable water sources can be upgraded (e.g. desalination of seawater);
• Demonstration workshops via pilot installations that show how water risks can be addressed through monitoring and digitisation of data (e.g. in land-based aquafarms);
• Legislation and regulations in the context of water risk management

A supervisory committee will be established to ensure that the project results of the collective research can be widely used and are actually useful to companies. DBC member companies can participate in the supervisory committee under favourable conditions.