Product Service Systems Water

Status

completed

Summary

The aim of this project is the development of methods and strategies on how to implement product service systems for water in industry. For most industries the conditioning and treatment of water and waste water is not the core business. These services can be offered by external companies and high investment and operation costs are replaced by rental costs for the service "treated waste water"

The service provider is interested in additional measures for water efficiency (e.g. closing of water cycles) if the amount and load of waste water and the demand of fresh water can be reduced in this way. The system of payment has to be designed in such a way that both the service provider and the customer gain by reducing the amount of water used and by introducing new efficient technologies. By reducing the water consumption and the amount of waste water the environment gains as well.

In this project product service systems for water and new water efficiency measures will be developed. Public water suppliers will be able to provide an integrated service and take responsibility from fresh water supply, water treatment and recycling to discharge into the runoff ditch.

This project begins with the finding of interested industrial branches, research of the state of the art of relevant technologies and the definition of the legal framework. At the same time, existing product service systems will be surveyed for their usability in water contracting, their applicability in Austria and their economical feasibility.

An existing guidebook to product service systems (output of a prior project) will be adapted for water service systems. The first draft of this rewritten guidebook will be the basis for further work in interested companies. The experiences of this cooperation will be integrated into the final version of this guidebook.

In analogy to existing "waste consultants" (they tell people how to separate communal waste correctly into the different recyclable components and a common waste fraction) a service "water consultant" will be developed. Teaching material, workshops and training will be provided by this project, too. Water consultants can show public administrations and companies how to use the resource water more efficient and can help with the introduction of water service systems.

Target groups for this project are public administrations, water providers, industrial companies and consulter. Private homes are not included in this project

The results of this project help the sustainable development of the resource water. Participating companies will be more competitive. The results will be applicable to other regions as well. Companies that use water service systems can reduce their operating costs and focus their interests on their core business. Companies that provide water service systems can open up new markets, increase their customer loyalty and optimize their own utilisation.

Contact

Joanneum Research Forschungsgesellschaft
Hr. DI Christoph Brunner
Tel: 0316 / 876 - 2413
E-Mail: christoph.brunner@joanneum.at