Water that the city doesn't waste. Our team turns rain into a new resource.

MAURICE: Giving Rainwater a Second Chance

Rainwater doesn’t have to end up in the sewer. Last week in Ljubljana, partners of the MAURICE project (Managing Urban Water Resources in Central Europe) met to share the latest insights on how to make European cities more resilient to drought and climate change.

Tomáš Lederer from the Centre for Nanomaterials, Advanced Technologies and Innovation (CXI TUL) represented the Technical University of Liberec. He presented the Guideline for the Selection of Rainwater Treatment Technologies for Further Use – an overview of modern methods for collecting, treating, and reusing rainwater.

Tomáš Lederer (center) presented the guideline for selecting rainwater treatment technologies during the MAURICE project partners’ meeting in Ljubljana.

How to Treat Rainwater Smartly

Rainwater can serve as a low-cost and sustainable resource for irrigation, toilet flushing, or technical applications. The key is the “fit-for-purpose” approach – treating water only to the quality level required for its intended use. Water for gardens has different standards than water meant to supplement municipal supplies.

Tomáš Lederer presented various treatment and disinfection methods – from chlorination, ozonation, and UV radiation to plasma technologies capable of removing microorganisms and micropollutants. The research connects ecology, engineering, and advanced material technologies.

“Rainwater is a resource that literally falls from the sky. It’s up to us whether we let it drain away or turn it into a useful part of urban water management.”
Tomáš Lederer, CXI TUL

Pilot Projects and European Experience

The presentation summarized experience from the Czech Republic and other countries – from the Liberec wastewater treatment plant and the ZOO Liberec project to large-scale applications in Paris, Berlin, and Switzerland. Across all examples, the message is clear: even ordinary rainwater can become a second source for the cities of the future.

In the Czech Republic, researchers are testing combinations of membrane filtration, UV radiation, and advanced oxidation processes that effectively remove bacteria and organic micropollutants. Results show that treated rainwater meets strict EU standards for reuse.

Smart Cities Start with Water

MAURICE connects partners from across Central Europe – universities, research institutions, and municipal partners – to develop a European guideline for rainwater management. The project is funded by Interreg Central Europe, and its results aim to help cities reduce drinking water consumption, mitigate flood risks, and adapt to climate change.

Want to Learn More?

Visit the MAURICE project website:
https://www.interreg-central.eu/projects/maurice/