Gothenburg shows the way to sustainable water use

Project partners: Kretslopp och vatten, Gryaab, HSB, Familjebostäder, Gothenburg Port, Liseberg, Preem, Business Region Gothenburg, HIGAB, Idrott och föreningsförvaltningen, Ecoloop, Rise, Nudgd, Chalmers.

Grant: 13,499,700 SEK

Project period: 2025-11-30 to 2028-11-30

Contact person: Olof Bergstedt, Kretslopp och vatten, City of Gothenburg

Linked to tasks: Sustainable water withdrawals; reduce water use and leakage; recycle and reuse water and its resources; secure water supply and management

Purpose and goals

Through collaboration, create conditions for enough water of the right quality for the city’s various needs with a minimum of environmental and climate impact.

Expected effects and results

The project entails a significant step towards sustainable water for all by 2050 by:

• Addressing technology, governance, and behavioral change that leads to reduced water withdrawal.

• Developing and implementing solutions to reduce both water losses and overuse.

• Making consumption visible and creating incentives for measures strengthens the project’s water efficiency.

• Identifying and addressing obstacles that currently limit reuse. The project increases knowledge and understanding of needs-adapted water quality, which enables wider use of recycled water.

• Simplifying the diversification of water sources and qualities, reduced leakage, and improved control of the water and sewage utility, for a more robust supply system. Local solutions relieve the central network in critical situations, e.g., in case of water shortage or risk of waterborne infection, and create security even during disruptions.

Planned structure and implementation

The transition lab will be established step-by-step with Gothenburg as a test bed and can thereafter be expanded into a national hub for innovation and consultation.

The text on this page was formulated by the project group itself. The content has not been reviewed by our editors.