Region: Europe      US
You are not logged in    Login
IDS Environment
The Information Resource for the Environment Industry!
Browse Environment Products & Suppliers By Category
Browse Environment Whitepapers By Sector
Browse Environment Events By Category
Participation Options
Free Listing for Bronze
Interested in Exhibiting?
Submit Events
About IDS Environment
Submit News

EUROPEAN WATER ASSOCIATION

Organisation Representing Water Professionals
EWA Membership
EWA Code of Ethics
EWA Network of Experts
Forums for Discussion and Exchange of Knowledge
EWA Comments to the European Commission

European Body for Sustainable Water Management, Biowaste, Total Water Cycle, Responsible Environmental Behaviour, COD, Water Related Waste, Groundwater, TOC, Activated Sludge System and Bathing Water


The European Water Association (EWA) is an independent non-governmental and non-profit making organisation dealing with the management and improvement of the water environment. It was founded on 22 June 1981 as the European Water Pollution Control Association. The scope of the Association was enlarged in 1999 with the change of name to the European Water Association.

Water Related Waste, Drinking Water and Wastewater

It is one of the major professional associations in Europe that covers the whole water sector, wastewater as well as drinking water and water related waste. With member associations from nearly all European countries EWA consists of most European Union member states, including all countries from Central and Eastern Europe which joined the European Union on 1 May 2004. Other European countries represented within the EWA are Croatia, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia and Montenegro, Norway, and Switzerland.

The aim of EWA is to provide a forum for the discussion of key technical and policy issues affecting the growing European region. This is done through conferences, workshops, meetings and special working groups of experts all organised on an international basis together with regular publications.

EWA informs its members on the development of EU legislation and standardisation and seeks to influence the drafting when appropriate. It has close contacts with the European Commission (DG Environment), the European Committee for Standardization (CEN), the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the European Parliament.

Soil Environment, Sustainable Water Management and Safe Water Supply

Through this exchange of knowledge the objective of EWA is to contribute to sustainable water management, a safe water supply and the protection of the water and soil environment.

Water Management

Today, EWA consists today of about 25 European national associations each representing professionals and technicians for wastewater and water utilities, academics, consultants and contractors as well as a growing number of corporate member firms and enterprises. EWA thus represents about 55,000 professional individuals working in the broad field of water management.

Total Water Cycle and Water Professionals

The organisation was founded on 22 June 1981 within the framework of the International Trade Fair for Wastewater and Waste Disposal (IFAT) in Munich, Germany. As a major and influential European organisation representing water professionals through their national associations, EWA promotes the sustainable management of the total water cycle for society`s needs coupled with excellent service provided by informed and expert people. This is how the organisation is structured:

  • National professional member organisations propose members for the Council
  • The council elects a President and chooses a Vice President, the Honorary Treasurer and the Management Committee
  • The Management Committee appoints the Secretary General, recommends and appoints Committees
  • Chairpersons of the Standing Committees are proposed by the Management Committee and appointed by the Council
  • The Chairpersons propose the members of the Standing Committees, who are appointed by the Management Committee
  • The Standing Committees organise a series of working groups, the so-called Task Groups, for the relevant areas within the water management sector



The European Water Association offers two ways of membership, the National Membership and the Commercial Membership. Individual membership is not possible.

Commercial Membership is open to European commercial companies, utilities and research organisations that operate in the European water sector. There are two different membership categories with different benefits, Sponsor Members and Corporate Members. Benefits for Sponsor Members as well Corporate Members (on slightly smaller reduced scale):
 
Leadership

  • Be active in a Commercial Members` Group and provide candidates eligible as Chair and have a place on the EWA Council

Information

  • Receive information about European legislation and standardisation in the water sector
  • Participate in interesting, up-to-date and high-focused conferences and workshops about European water issues

European Networking

  • Get in contact with water professionals from various fields and countries, including the Central and Eastern European countries, at conferences, workshops, and EWA`s Annual Meeting
  • Develop contacts with the European Commission and the European Environment Agency
  • Enjoy one free attendance to every EWA conference

Technical Work

  • Work together with other experts to influence the European water agenda, legislation and standardisation in EWA`s European Technical and Scientific Committee (ETSC) and its Task Groups

Make Yourself Known

  • Have your company`s website linked from EWA`s homepage
  • Present your company to all EWA members and the European water world through a one-page description in the EWA Yearbook
  • Display your logo on all EWA conferences and publications



EWA Code of Ethics
 
Individual Members of the Professional Association will be expected to use their influence to the fullest extent and to behave to the best of their ability to maintain a sustainable environment in the following way:

  • Ensure that the use of environmental resources is fair and equitable and sustainable and takes account of the needs of a diverse environment
  • Never knowingly or deliberately over-exploit environmental resources
  • Never knowingly or deliberately cause the environment to be damaged or nuisance to be created by the discharge of unacceptable quantities of any substance or energy in any form
  • Recognise that in contributing to the provision of environmental services they provide an important contribution to human well-being
  • Ensure that the uses of the environment do it no harm or to the life within it and wherever possible enhance it
  • Embrace the needs of the community
  • Promote the concepts of integration of the management of the wider environment
  • Use their wisdom in serving the community and constantly strive to learn more
  • Serve as an example to others for responsible environmental behaviour
  • Never engage in corrupt practice and maintain a high standard of professional behaviour which will serve as an example to others

This Code was adopted by the EWA Council at its Annual Meeting on 2 June 2001 in Vannes, France.



Although the EWA Task Groups already present a focal point for the exchange of information, they only involve a limited number of persons out of the approximately 55,000 members assembled in the EWA member associations. Additionally, the EWA Working Groups cover only specific topics and are not able to answer to immediate requests.

It was thus decided to broaden the involvement of experts in and also outside the EWA by creating an e-mail based EWA Network of Experts. Whenever a specific question arises, input for the preparation of comments to EU legislation is required, speakers for or members for projects are needed, etc., the EWA Network of Experts is asked to provide help and information. Interested persons are welcome to join the EWA Network of Experts and can also benefit from it for the purposes described above.    



Through the different committees and task groups, the EWA provides a forum for discussion and exchange of knowledge and experience between national experts on the European level. The EWA Task Groups are active under the auspices of EWA`s The European Technical & Scientific Committee (ETSC) which provides a focal point for communication and co-operation between European practitioners and researchers. Chairman: Bojan Zmaic, Croatia. Task Groups are active in the following areas:

TOC, COD and BOD

Chairman: John Martin (UK)

Scope: The intention is to set independent limits for BOD and COD. In some places high values of COD have been found in domestic effluents. The study should examine the issues for that and include TOC, not only as absolute measure of carbon but to give information on the use of TOC as a quality determinant. Some European countries have more experience and the objective of the group should be to pool and extend the knowledge and recommend best practice for the dissemination to member organisations and to the European Commission. The EWA therefore aims to create a sound basis of information for further discussion on these topics.

Output: Publication in specialist journals (EWM journal, journals of member associations), eventually organisation of a conference or workshop

Sewage Sludge

Chairman: Helmut Kroiss (Austria)

Groundwater

Chairman: Zoran Nakic, Croatia

European Design of Activated Sludge System

Chairman: Fabio Tatàno, Italy

Water Framework Directive


Central and Eastern European Countries

Chairman: Karoly Kovacs (Hungary)

European Fluvial Flood Risk Network

Chairman: Ronnie Falconer (UK)



Comments of the EWA to the European Commission on

Sewage Sludge

Revision of the Sewage Sludge Directive

  • Working Document on sludge, 3rd draft  
  • Working Document on sludge and biowaste

Bathing Water

Revision of the Bathing Water Directive

  • Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council ``Developing a New Bathing Water Policy``
  • Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the quality of bathing water

REACH: Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals

  • European Commission, DG Environment, REACH
  • European Commission, DG Enterprise, REACH



 

Industry IDS
IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre Water Supply & Sanitation Collaborative Council International Desalination Association Stockholm Environment Institute European Water Association
DELEGATES
20098
Conference Sectors  Case Studies  List of Papers  Exhibition Sectors  Vendor Presentation  List of Exhibitors  Industry News  Sponsors  All Exhibitors  All Papers  Sitemap  Registration Links ]

  IDS Emergency Management | IDS Water | IDS Publishing / Media | IDS Healthcare Management | IDS Packaging | IDS Plastics | IDS Power/Energy 

Industry IDS, Inc. – Online Tradeshow, Exhibition, & Buyers Guide Solutions