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Water Cycle Management Course addresses one of the world's biggest challenges

On Monday, students from 13 countries started a two-week intensive course in advanced and sustainable water management. The course at Låsby Kro has been organised in close collaboration between Aarhus University and many of Denmark's leading companies within wastewater extraction, distribution and treatment.

[Translate to English:] En flok unge mennesker står i højt græs og kigger ned i en grøft.
[Translate to English:] Projektingeniør Erland Stubkjaer Christensen fra Skanderborg Forsyning viser de studerende et regnvandsoverløb, som er en del af et klimaprojekt i Låsby. Foto: Ida Marie Jensen, AU.
[Translate to English:] Tre midaldrende mænd står ved siden af et par unge kvinder ved et rækværk.
[Translate to English:] Lærere og studerende får et kig på regnvandsbassinet Låsby Søpark: (fra højre) professor Niels Peter Revsbech, leder af Aarhus University Centre for Water Technology, WATEC, Erland Stubkjær Christensen fra Skanderborg Forsyning og Michael Ramlau-Hansen fra AVK. Foto: Ida Marie Jensen, AU.
[Translate to English:] En mand i lyseblå skjorte står og taler blandt nogle siddende unge mennesker
[Translate to English:] På vandsommerskolen tager Lars Schrøder en tjans som underviser i smart vandforsyning. Han er administrerende direktør i Aarhus Vand. Foto: Ida Marie Jensen, AU.

Worldwide, more than 80 per cent of all human-generated wastewater is led directly and untreated into nature. Furthermore, in many countries, between 30 and 60 per cent of the drinking water produced is lost before it reaches consumers.

Denmark is one of the world's leading countries in dealing with these problems. The vast majority of Danish wastewater is treated and cleaned, and treatment plants are getting better at extracting biogas and nutrients, etc. from wastewater. Only 7.8 per cent of drinking water is lost in Denmark.

Denmark's position is one of the reasons why the Advanced Water Cycle Management Course has been able to attract so many students, and with 49 registrations, the course could be considered a major attraction, given that the course is the first of its kind at Aarhus Summer University.

Expertise straight from the tap

Another and very significant reason for the large influx is that the organisers of the course are almost exclusively people with practical experience in addressing the current water challenges.

Researchers from Aarhus University Centre for Water Technology, WATEC, and specialists from industry, utilities and consulting engineers have developed the course together, and all the parties have contributed teaching staff.

This gives students insight into the latest and smartest methods of managing a sustainable hydrological cycle, and into effective public/private collaboration.

"We want to form ambassadors, who can go out into the world and make a difference. We want to support the vision in the United Nations sustainable development goals and help people to a better life. Moreover, it's vital that we strengthen future collaboration between the business community, utilities and the university," says Michael Ramlau-Hansen, global brand manager at the AVK group.


Contact information:

Kristine Howe Kjer,

Special consultant, coordinator,
Department of Bioscience - WATEC Aarhus University Centre for Water Technology
Mail: kkh@bios.au.dk
Mobile: +4540179739

Please find more information about the Advanced Water Cycle Management Course here: http://watec.au.dk/water-management-summer-school/