EcoWater - Sofia, Bulgaria

meso-level eco-efficiency indicators
to assess technologies
& their uptake
in water use sectors

Eco-efficiency improvements in the Sofia urban water system

The Case Study will assess the wider environmental impacts/improvements and the added economic value that would arise from the implementation of innovative technologies in the urban water system of Sofia, Bulgaria.

In Sofia, efficient water consumption is of crucial importance, due to the high competition among different water users (domestic, industrial and agricultural) and recurring droughts in the region, Furthermore, urban water delivering, water and wastewater treatment demand considerable amount of energy, and the handling of generated sludge during wastewater treatment accounts for almost 50% of the overall operational costs.

In this context, technologies that will be assessed focus primarily on potable water supply and use, and on wastewater treatment, including enhanced treatment processes, leakage reduction methods, water saving appliances, new technologies for sludge reduction, advanced wastewater treatment methods, and biogas production and energy recovery from wastewater treatment processes.

Environmental impacts will primarily include water and energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions (due to their local importance), but also other relevant midpoint categories (ecotoxicity potential, eutrophication potential, materials’ usage, etc.).

An assessment of the relevant economic impacts will also be undertaken to account for potential distributional effects associated with the implementation of new technologies.