A water bank that matches freshwater supply and demand—it’s becoming increasingly essential as climate change makes water availability less predictable. In the STURDI-Water research project, scientists and practitioners are joining forces to build just such a system. “We’re not short on technical solutions. It’s the legal, financial, and governance barriers that need our attention” say Hans Cappon (HZ), Dave Huitema (WUR) and Nick Hannewijk (Province of Zeeland) in the podcast ”Circulaire Versnellers” (note: podcast in Dutch).

“Doing nothing means dry fields and empty taps before 2050,” says Hans Cappon, Professor of Water Technology at HZ University of Applied Sciences and lead of the STURDI-Water project (Storage, Upgrade, Reuse and Distribution of Water in regional collaborative networks). Climate change is causing salinization and prolonged droughts, making freshwater availability increasingly uncertain—particularly in the Southwest Delta of the Netherlands. That poses major challenges for nature, agriculture, industry, and tourism alike.

“Freshwater needs to stay in circulation, not be flushed out to sea,” Cappon explains. “That means using it more efficiently—no more watering plants with drinking water, for example—and developing new sources.” While technical solutions exist, scaling them remains difficult. According to Nick Hannewijk, Water Policy Advisor for the Province of Zeeland, regulations are a major obstacle: “In winter, we could purify polder water and store it in the Zeeland soil, but there’s no policy for that yet. Strict nutrient standards currently stand in the way, even though this could yield valuable reserves for dry summers.

These pictures were shared by Nick in the Podcast

A Cooperative Water Bank

“By aligning freshwater supply and demand, we gain flexibility in where we source water from,” explains Dave Huitema, Public Administration Researcher at Wageningen University & Research. “Think of a cooperative bank for money—but for freshwater, which is becoming increasingly scarce. Such a bank would store and monitor resources: you ‘deposit’ water when you don’t need it and ‘withdraw’ when you do.”

Cappon adds: “In practice, I envision a single (virtual) service desk where everyone can go with their water needs or surplus. A farmer might need water during the growing season, while an industrial facility may want to get rid of it at that time. Behind the scenes, there’s a full overview, and the water is distributed fairly, taking permits and regulations into account—all in one place. We don’t imagine creating a new organization for this; instead, local or regional partnerships would manage the collective water supply, involving stakeholders like provinces and water authorities.”

From Physical Storage to Fair Allocation

The research team starts by identifying physical locations where water is or could be stored, with a focus on reusing effluent (treated wastewater suitable for irrigation), desalinating brackish water, and underground and above-ground storage options.

Next, they examine whether reuse is technically, legally, and financially feasible. Equally important is the question of how to distribute the water fairly. In essence, this means building an entirely new water system—something that can only succeed with active input from all stakeholders. That’s why the STURDI-Water consortium includes developers, industry, governments, environmental groups, and even individual citizens.

Huitema: “This collaboration mostly takes place through joint workshops. Step by step, we’re designing the water bank, constantly questioning what legal, financial, and governance solutions are needed. For instance, if we tap into a new water source, who owns that water? We use tools like serious games, where stakeholders negotiate around a virtual table. By switching roles—say, a farmer taking the perspective of an industry representative—they gain insight into each other’s needs and work toward shared solutions. These simulations also allow us to test the impact of design decisions without affecting the real world. At the end of the project, we’ll pilot the final water bank design in practice, including all related legal, financial, and governance components.”

Podcast: Circulaire Versnellers How can researchers and practitioners work together to speed up the transition to a circular society? In this three-part podcast series, we explore three promising research projects tackling exactly that challenge. Each one focuses on developing new, scalable systems that better align the supply and demand of materials and services: a cooperative bank for freshwater, a digital system for managing construction and demolition materials, and spatial designs for the optimal exchange of landscape services in urban-rural regions. The research is largely embedded in real-world contexts. After all, technical solutions are often readily available—but how do we get them off the ground? It requires rethinking the value of resources and services, developing new business models, and creating the nessecary legal and governance frameworks. All perspectives are needed here, along with mutual trust and a belief in the often open-ended process. In keeping with this spirit, researchers and practitioners in this series share their lessons and experiences with fellow researchers.

This podcast was hosted and edited by Annemieke Groenenboom and produced for the Institute 4 a Circular Society, part of the EWUU alliance.