Zer0-M

Sustainable concepts towards a zerooutflow municipality
website

Starting date: 2003-09-01 -Duration (months): 48

Background

Zer0-M aims at concepts and technologies to achieve optimised close-loopusage of all water flows in small municipalities or settlements (e.g.tourism facilities) not connected to a central wastewater treatment - theZero Outflow Municipality (Zer0-M). Several technologies are alreadyavailable, which allow efficient wastewater treatment and re-use withouthygienic risks on a low-cost and easy-to-handle level. These include:sanitation systems with low water consumption; separation of grey and blackwater; biological treatment of grey water and re-use for non-drinkingpurposes (e.g. irrigation); bio-membrane reactors for intense treatment;constructed wetlands for extensive treatment; and sludge hygienisation forre-use as fertiliser.

Structure

The project consortium consists of 11 partners from four MediterraneanPartner Countries (MPC) - Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and Turkey, plus EUcountries - Italy, Greece, Austria and Germany, and comprises: aMunicipality, environmental NGOs, non-profit professional organisations andresearch institutions.

Objectives

The project's target groups are: experts from administration, planning andengineers. Awareness-raising measures also target schools and the interestedpublic. Zer0-M wants to enable one centre in each country to implement anddisseminate SWM solutions and to promote its technologies and approach amongauthorities and consumers. Main issues to be taken into consideration are:

function, treatment performance and maintenance requirements of existing SWM technologies
integrated concepts for different applications of decentralised waste water treatment and re-use
small settlements in rural areas with agricultural production
isolated tourism facilities
peri-urban areas not connected to a centralised waste water collection and treatment system.
hygienic aspects and good practice to avoid health hazards, with special regard on re-use of wastewater and sludge for irrigation and fertilisation.
costs and tariffs.

Projects planned

setting-up of an internet network for experts on the above topics; building up links to existing websites; organisation of regional and international conferences; publication of a journal. (know-how exchange)
training and workshops in Training and Demonstration Centres (TDC) in four MEDA-Partner countries addressing different target groups; excursions for experts to visit existing SWM examples in EU countries; updating of relevant legislation in order to discuss SWM-friendly regulations
realisation of Zer0-M installations attached to four TDCs (components: water-saving household and sanitary appliances, biological grey water treatment, membrane bioreactors, constructed wetlands); monitoring; pilot implementations for a site in Egypt, a Tunisian rural settlement and a development site in Morocco (technology transfer)
case studies on four small municipalities or settlements in the 4 MPCs with the elaboration of Zer0-M concepts; developing cartographic visualisation and representation tools; a software tool for modelling economic effects and a life cycle assessment of environment and health aspects of SWM components
CD-ROM containing a video and information about SWM for different target groups (awareness raising)

Contacts

Partners	Countries	Contacts
AEE INTEC - Institute for sustainable technologies (Project coordinator) - web	AT	Mr. Martin Regelsberger
LEE - Institut National de Recherche Scientifique et Technique, Laboratoire Eau et Environnement	TN	Mr. Ahmed Ghrabi
NRC - Water Research & Pollution Control Department, National Research Centre	EG	Mr. Hussein I. Abdel-Shafy
WTRU - Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II, Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Unit	MA	Prof. Bouchaïb El Hamouri
TUB - TU Berlin, Zentraleinrichtung Kooperation	GE	Ms. Gisela Hoffmann
wB - Universität Hannover, Zentrale Einrichtung für Weiterbildung	GE	Dr. Martin Beyersdorf
Fakultät III, Fachgebiet Verfahrenstechnik I	GE	Mr. Matthias Kaume
IGR - Department of Geography and Regional Research, University of Vienna	AT	Mr. Karel Kriz
Rhodes - Kallithea - Rhodes Sustainability	GR	Mr. Sevi Skiathiti
ALT - Ambiente e Lavoro Toscana – O.N.L.U.S.	IT	Mrs. Cristina Pinnazzi
MRC-ESERI - Tübitak-Marmara Research Center	TR	Mr. Ahmet Baban
FBR - Fachvereinigung Betriebs- und Regenwassernutzung e.V. (fbr) - web	GE	Dietmar Sperfeld

5th Mediterranean Water Forum