The project main objective was to develop new environmental technologies for efficient, future-proof drinking water production in coastal areas, able to cope with mounting levels of DOC. In particular, the project aimed to advance the development of novel environmental technologies designed to enhance drinking water treatment processes within the 2 Seas area, a region that relies primarily on surface water as the main source for water production.

Thus, the project focused on joint innovative efforts to solve the critical issue of removal of Dissolved Organic Matter (DOC) from drinking water. At the time, the main treatment process for surface water included low technology solutions: coagulation, flocculation, and sedimentation. DOC2C’s goal was to develop highly innovative treatments, such as integration of pioneering ceramic membrane technology with novel Ion Exchange concepts.

In this project -for the first time- the interregional drinking water chain joined forces. Individual R&D efforts, so far limited to a few regions and parts of the water chain, were embedded in integrated approaches involving drinking water companies, technology providers and research institutions.

Projects partners were aware that increasing DOC in surface water is a serious threat to drinking water in the coastal 2 Seas area. Within a single country, the total number of drinking water facilities relying on surface water was rather limited, but the investments in R&D and full-scale treatments were significant. This made innovation slow and location-specific: promising technologies existed but they were not validated yet in an integrated process, scientific knowledge was fragmented, and exchange of experience was cautious. Cross-border cooperation within 2 Seas area was therefore essential to create critical mass and reach the intended change.

In fact, the challenges confronted by drinking water companies in the Programme area are highly specific to the geographical context. These coastal utilities depend predominantly on the treatment of fresh surface water instead of groundwater, which is more common to inland regions and less susceptible to external contamination. The types of treatment required, and therefore the R&D focus, vary so widely between groundwater and surface water that water facilities in the 2 Seas area can contribute more to and benefit more from partners within this region than from other national collaborations.

Nevertheless, DOC2C’s enabled project partners to recognize common challenges in DOC removal. It highlighted that the efforts and knowledge acquired by each partner in addressing DOC issues could be valuable to others. Over the course of four years, this project served as a platform and framework for communication and collaboration, contributing to the progression of knowledge in this field.

Additionally, the collaboration among project partners facilitated the development of innovative technological solutions that would have been unattainable without cross-border cooperation. Especially during the pilots’ implementation phase, significant challenges were encountered, yet the partnership successfully surmounted these obstacles through leveraging a network of contacts and shared experiences, enabling the identification of effective solutions.