İzmir Metropolitan Municipality’s innovative project addressing the water crisis, “RESWATER – Non-Conventional Water Resources for Resilient Urban Water Management,” has been awarded a grant under the Interreg NEXT MED Programme. Within the scope of the project, grey water treatment systems will be installed in municipal service buildings, and the treated water will be used for building cleaning and landscape irrigation. The initiative is expected to serve as a model for Türkiye by reducing costs while minimizing environmental impacts.

Projects eligible for funding under the Interreg NEXT MED Programme have been announced. İzmir Metropolitan Municipality has become a programme partner alongside seven Mediterranean cities with its RESWATER project. Coordinated by the Malta Ministry for Energy and Water, the programme includes significant steps toward sustainable water management in the Mediterranean. Within this framework, İzmir Metropolitan Municipality will carry out research, development, and implementation activities focusing on the use of grey water in municipal service buildings.

A Model Project for Sustainable Water Management in İzmir
Centralized and non-conventional water resource solutions will be implemented in municipal service buildings. A comprehensive grey water treatment and rainwater harvesting system will be developed to ensure sustainable water management. Grey water generated within buildings will be treated and reused for indoor cleaning as well as irrigation of public and landscaped areas. The initiative aims to reduce costs while minimizing environmental impacts.
The system will digitally monitor water quantity and quality, enabling feasibility analyses. The municipality will share its experience with project partners, comparatively assess performance data, and organize awareness activities, workshops, and events at the local level. The project is expected to showcase best practices in sustainable water management at both local and regional scales.

Towards Sustainable and Resilient Urban Water Management
The project is implemented under the programme’s priority of “a greener, low-carbon and resilient Europe,” specifically targeting improved access to water and sustainable water management. In regions where demand for freshwater is increasing due to climate change and population growth, alternative solutions that reduce dependency on natural water resources will be explored. The use of small-scale and decentralized (off-grid) water sources will also be examined, and pilot applications for grey water and rainwater storage will be carried out.

Aiming to Reduce Urban Water Demand by 30–50%
The project seeks to develop and promote non-conventional water resources, share experiences with both local stakeholders and actors across the Mediterranean region, and conduct feasibility studies for solutions with the potential to reduce urban water demand by 30–50%. The outcomes are expected to contribute significantly to the development of sustainable and low-carbon water management policies.

Strong International Partnership
The RESWATER Project brings together a wide network of partners from across the Mediterranean basin, including the Malta Energy and Water Agency (Coordinator), İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, the Water Research and Technologies Centre (Tunisia), the University of Cagliari (Italy), the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation (Egypt), the Mediterranean Information Office / Global Water Partnership (Greece), and the Directorate-General for Water of the Region of Murcia (Spain).

Diğer Haberler

Tüm Haberleri Gör