WATER MANAGEMENT
Denmark puts a price on the precious resource
Rather than wait for shortages to strike, Danes are working hard on cutting down their water consumption just in case. Running against the current of rising GDP, which stands at US$355 billion (about 11.2 trillion baht), Denmark’s consumption of water has fallen steadily to 104 litres per person per day.
This reduction is a result of awareness, both environmental and financial.
Danes’ concern for the environment is coupled with a comparatively high price for tap water, especially when you consider it comes for free in some countries.
“It’s a resource and we are sending the signal to people that it’s something valuable, therefore it has a price,” said Kim Madsbjerg, special adviser on water resources to Denmark’s Environmental Protection Agency.
He says it is also cheaper and easier to put a price on water than on services such as hospital treatment, where cost varies according to the health problem.
Danes are charged about 0.063 Danish krone (0.28 baht) per litre of water, though fees for wastewater treatment and other services are added to the bill.
As a result, the quality of Danish tap water is among the best in the world, thanks in part to thorough checks for contaminants like nitrogen, phosphorus and heavy metals.
There’s no doubt that it’s safe for drinking.
In fact, said Mr Madsbjerg, tap water in Denmark is cleaner than much of the bottled equivalent available in shops.
“Taps are a much more efficient and cheaper way of delivering water when compared with bottles or other distribution systems. But people have to realise that for a good water system, you need to pay for the water.
“And that could mean increasing the price you pay for water by 10 times. But that is still a lot cheaper than buying water in big tanks,” Mr Madsbjerg said.
The capital of Denmark, Copenhagen, looks out onto the vast expanse of the North Sea, but all its water is drawn from the ground.
The groundwater is treated with aeration, oxygenation and filtration before reaching consumers.
No chemicals or substances are added, he said.
NO LEAKAGE, NO WASTE
Water loss, as in the difference in the amount of water pumped up and the amount delivered to customers, is considered a big issue in Denmark.
The rate of water loss in Denmark is currently 7.4%, Mr Madsbjerg said, adding that it is among the lowest in the world.
About a decade ago, the loss of water in Denmark stood at about 10%.
But the rate of loss was brought down after the authorities began holding the water company, a local monopoly, responsible.
Now the company is penalised if the water loss is over 10%, Mr Madsbjerg said.
Meanwhile, just as Mr Madsbjerg highlights the word “resource”, he rejects the concept of “waste”, saying all used water must undergo treatment.
“Wastewater runs into the rivers and lakes. If we don’t treat it at that point, we will suffer environmental problems later,” he said, recounting water’s lifecycle, which has been estimated at about 50 years.
As in once water evaporates it takes about 50 years to return to the source as groundwater.
Hence, he said, why take the risk of contaminated water returning to the ground over the next few decades?
INDUSTRIES PAY MORE
Industries, meanwhile, are charged far more for contaminating water in their manufacturing process.
Hence, many firms are looking for ways to save and clean contaminated water.
For instance, cheese producer Arla Foods uses Grundfos BioBooster, a decentralised wastewater treatment, to clean “cow water” left from production so clean drinkable water can be returned to the system.
Denmark has invested in the latest technology, including artificial intelligence, to clean and deliver water.
The use of technology ensures that there is no contamination from human hands and the system can pinpoint irregularities in a timely manner.
In line with its Water Vision 2025, Denmark hopes to have a circular economy in full effect with a Water Resource Recovery Facility in place within the next five years.
Mr Madsbjerg hopes that collaboration with countries and experts will allow for sustainable development and help them better deal with such issues as chemical residue and microplastic contamination.
SHARING THE KNOWLEDGE
Apart from working on the environment locally, Denmark is also calling on interested parties to participate.
To make this possible, it has set up the non-profit organisation State of Green to share knowledge, connect with the public and have them help develop sustainable solutions for the sake of the world.
Iver Hoj Nielsen, former press chief for State of Green, said the awareness of environmental issues in Denmark, and the Danes’ motivation to protect the environment partly stems from the pain of having to depend on other countries for energy during the oil crisis in the 1970s.
Now State of Green shares knowledge through its headquarters in Copenhagen as well as through its website, stateofgreen.com, which is available in different languages including Danish, English, Chinese and Japanese.
It’s a resource and we are sending the signal to people that it’s something valuable, therefore it has a price. SPECIAL ADVISER ON WATER RESOURCES, KIM MADSBJERG