Partnership works to reduce hazardous substances in wastewater

Dec. 31, 2008

In the last two years, the participants in The Source Partnership have worked together to identify and minimize sources of environmental hazardous substances in wastewater. The project is now finished but the cooperation continues via the Danish-Swedish knowledge centre, where all the project results are also available...

HØRSHOLM, Denmark, Dec. 1, 2008 -- In the last two years, the participants in The Source Partnership have worked together to identify and minimize sources of environmental hazardous substances in wastewater. The project is now finished but the cooperation continues via the Danish-Swedish knowledge centre, where all the project results are also available.

>> Visit the Danish-Swedish knowledge centre [in Danish only]

The partners have carried out joint developing projects and shared knowledge about source tracking methods, regulation of pollution sources and methods for treatment of wastewater. It has been the aim of the project to communicate the results to municipal and regional environmental authorities and wastewater treatment plants in the Oresund Region, in order for them to continue and spread the source work in the region.

The municipal wastewater treatment plants are first of all built to remove organic compounds and nutrients, while the environmental hazardous substances in various extent will run through the wastewater treatment plants to the water areas, accumulate in the sludge or expose sewer workers through the air. It is therefore necessary with prevention and reduction by the source if the risk from the hazardous substances should be minimized.

In The Source Partnership multiple sources of environmental hazardous substances have been in focus and activities have been carried out within:
• Industrial areas (industries, power plants, offices etc.)
• Hospitals
• Households
• Landfill sites
• Urban surface runoff

Project activities and monitoring results are summarized in the publication "The Source Handbook" (in English and Danish).
>> Download the handbook in English [pdf]

The project is partly financed by Interreg IIIA Øresund Region

The partners in The Source Partnership are:
• The Municipality of Hvidovre
• VA SYD
• The County Administrative Board of Skåne
• Lynettefællesskabet I/S
• The Municipality of Helsingborg
• The Municipality of Gladsaxe
• SYSAV AB
• The Danish Environmental Protection Agency
• University of Lund
• DHI