The main objective of the FRESH4Cs project is to provide year-long sustainable fresh water supply for the different water users in coastal lowlands, as an alternative to using overexploited deeper aquifers or long distance water supply through pipelines. The alternative water resources considered focus on storing and using surplus fresh water that is now drained to the sea during periods of water abundancy. By starting innovative demo sites and combine these with a roadmap for the non-technological barriers, the project expects that water management in the coastal lowlands of the 2 seas region will increasingly take up the demo technologies, reducing on the long term the pressure on non-sustainable water resources.

Five demonstration sites for the use of alternative water resources and one evaluation report on these technologies are a first output. These demos include technologies based on shallow aquifer storage (creek ridge infiltration (with/without desalination) and managed aquifer recharge; UK, NL, BE), innovative water management including storage and redistribution (UK) and the use of waste water through a nature based solution upgrade of an existing treatment plant (BE). These demos will benefit local actors in the water landscape: water managers (governmental or private), water utilities and water users such as farmers, tourism and drinking water production. We will start one replication site through by conducting a feasability study.

A roadmap for widespread implementation of the demo technologies will be delivered, which will focus on technological and non-technological opportunities and barriers. It targets policy and legislation makers and the different actors in the water sector.

• Need for demo locations in various settings: this project will link five demo sites, which will set an example for decision makers;
• Technological knowledge exchange: to take advantage of the different levels of experience for each of the technologies present in the different 2 seas regions;
• Non-technological knowledge exchange: to take advantage of the different experiences on non-technological issues for each of the technologies present in the different 2 seas regions;
• Community building: to build a cross-border community based on these demo sites, which will enable widespread replication and will result in a multiplication of gained water saving and efficiency.