Water4All
Raising awareness of sustainable water consumption
Objective of the project
The Water4All project is one of the five Sustainable Campus projects of the ULiège Green Office . Its objectives are to make students aware of the sustainable consumption of water (no longer using plastic bottles) and to give access to good quality water to all.
Report
This project, ranked first in the voting campaign carried out in February 2020, is a real demand from the students of the University of Liège.
Every year, a European drinks an average of 117 litres of bottled water. To produce a 1.5 litre plastic bottle, 33cl of oil is needed. In Europe, 42% of plastic bottles are not recycled but end up in landfills or the oceans. This use of plastic bottles therefore generates negative impacts in terms of resource consumption and waste production.
Suggested solution
The Green Office is going to promote the consumption of tap water. To this end, it will participate in the provision of free tap water to fill water bottles in places where students pass through.
Implementation
The main steps to deploy the solution are :
- The choice of the fountain or filter system on existing faucets: based on students' expectations (April 2020 survey) and a life cycle analysis (LCA) of existing systems.
- The choice of suitable locations for the placement of fountains or filters on faucets
- The choice of companies for the market offer (CESAME unit)
- The technical installation
- Communication to inform and raise awareness in the student community about the benefits of drinking tap water
The analysis of consumption at the fountains and the reduction of the CO2 footprint avoided (by not consuming plastic bottles).
Our experts consulted
Angélique Léonard (Faculty of Applied Sciences), Maud Leloutre (Head of Energy and Water, Real Estate Resources Administration), Pauline Courard (CESAME - Purchasing Department)
Contribution to the Global Agenda 2030
This project is in line with the Sustainable Development Objectives of the United Nations Global Agenda 2030, including 6 "Clean Water and Sanitation" and 12 "Sustainable Consumption and Production".
Garantir l’accès de tous à l’eau et à l’assainissement et assurer une gestion durable des ressources en eau Le sixième objectif vise un accès universel et équitable à l’eau potable, à l’hygiène et à l’assainissement d’ici 2030, en particulier pour les populations vulnérables. Il appelle également à une gestion durable de cette ressource, et mentionne la réduction du nombre de personnes souffrant de la rareté de l’eau.
Établir des modes de consommation et de production durables Le douzième objectif est un appel pour les producteurs, les consommateurs, les communautés et les gouvernements à réfléchir sur leurs habitudes et usages en termes de consommation, de production de déchets, à l’impact environnemental et social de l’ensemble de la chaîne de valeur de nos produits. Plus globalement, cet ODD réclame de comprendre les interconnexions entre les décisions personnelles et collectives, et de percevoir les impacts de nos comportements respectifs entre les pays et à l’échelle mondiale.
