By Maria Trabjerg Ulsøe, AAU Campus Services

Strategic Measures and Policies

Since 2006, AAU has implemented various measures to monitor, reduce and manage energy and water consumption effectively and to be compliant with legislation. These initiatives include:

• Continuous monitoring: Utilizing consumption meters and Building Management Systems (BMS) to track water usage.
• Reporting and Follow-Up: Integrating water consumption data with energy usage in the Energy Management System (EMS) for regular reporting and follow-up.
• Leakage alarms: Installing automatic leakage alarms to minimize water wastage due to leaks.
• Water-saving fixtures: Replacing toilets and faucets with water-saving models.
• Technical specifications: Ensuring new constructions and renovations adhere to AAU’s technical specifications for water-saving fixtures and systems.
• Rainwater utilization: Using only collected rainwater for outdoor irrigation.
• Efficient cleaning methods: Employing cleaning methods that use minimal water.
• Sustainability requirements: Imposing sustainability requirements on suppliers, particularly in the canteen area, to reduce overall energy and water consumption.
• Tenant accountability: Charging tenants, such as businesses and canteens, for their energy and water usage to incentivize conservation.
• Cold water dispensers: Promoting conscious water usage on campus by providing cold water dispensers with free cold high quality drinking water for students and staff. The aim is also to reduce bottled water usage and minimize water waste.
• Water recycling: Maximizing water recycling and reuse wherever possible, such as the water and wave laboratory at BUILD where 400 m3 of water is being reused.
• Future action plan: Developing a concrete action plan for energy and water savings in addition to 2025 as part of the university’s Climate Plan 2030.

High quality drinking Water

Denmark is renowned for its high-quality drinking water, which is primarily sourced from groundwater. This water undergoes minimal treatment before reaching consumers, ensuring it remains fresh and clean. All drinking and consumption water at AAU Campus in Aalborg East is being extracted by Aalborg Forsyning about 3 km. from campus.

Aalborg Forsyning extracts groundwater sustainably. They have implemented several measures to ensure the protection and sustainable use of groundwater resources e.g. Groundwater Protection Agency, who collaborates with local landowners and farmers to protect groundwater sources and strategic planning outlined in Aalborg’s municipal water supply and action plans, which aim to safeguard drinking water through sustainable practices

Key factors contributing to the high quality of Danish drinking water include:

• Natural filtration: Groundwater in Denmark is naturally filtered through layers of sand and gravel, which helps remove impurities.
• Minimal treatment: Most drinking water requires only basic treatment, such as aeration and filtration, to meet quality standards.
• Regular monitoring: Water quality is continuously monitored to detect and address any potential contaminants promptly.
• Strict regulations: Danish laws and EU directives set stringent standards for drinking water quality, ensuring it is free from harmful substances.

Save water

Aalborg University is encouraging water conservation in the broader community by collaborating with both national and international partners to find solutions that can be implemented globally. This includes partnerships with other universities, research institutions, and private companies.

This initiative is part of a larger effort to address the global water crisis, which is becoming increasingly urgent due to climate change and population growth.

The AAU Water initiative is an interdisciplinary research program at Aalborg University that focuses on addressing global water challenges.

• Climate adaptation in cities: Research on how cities can adapt to climate change, including managing extreme weather events such as floods and droughts.
• Technological purification of drinking water: Development of new technologies to purify drinking water more efficiently and sustainably.
• Extraction of rare materials from water: Research on methods to extract valuable materials from wastewater and other water sources.
• Sustainable water management: Development of strategies and technologies to improve water management and reduce water waste.

In Denmark, there has been a significant focus on reducing water consumption. For example, we have managed to decrease its water usage per capita over the past 40 years by implementing higher water prices and promoting water-saving technologies. This approach not only helps conserve water but also raises awareness about the importance of treating water as a limited resource.