With funding of over 2 million euros, the large-scale research and development project ‘aqua³’ was launched on 1 April 2025 as part of the BMBF measure ‘Water Supply of the Future’ (WaZ).
Over a period of three years, Leibniz Universität Hannover and numerous other renowned partners from science, industry and the water sector will work together on innovative solutions for the water supply of the future. The aim of aqua³ is to establish quality-assured water cycles in residential areas in order to noticeably increase the availability of water in the city in the long term and to relieve the pressure on the drinking water supply through supplementary water supply services.
The ‘aqua³’ project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and combines interdisciplinary expertise from the fields of water management, digitalisation and environmental technology, law and economics.
In the context of increasing challenges such as climate change, rising water demand and ageing infrastructure, ‘aqua³’ focuses on technical innovations, modernised infrastructures, smart sensor technologies and AI-supported analyses.
"In times of climate change, ensuring a reliable water supply in urban areas is one of the key challenges of our time. With “aqua³”, we are laying the foundations for a robust, sufficient and quality-assured water supply in the city that meets both technological and economic requirements," explains Prof Köster, project coordinator and Head of the Institute of Urban Water Management and Waste Technology at LUH.
In addition to the development of innovative technical approaches, the project is focussing in particular on the implementation of practical solutions in the pilot areas. The knowledge gained should help to optimise existing systems and establish new supply models.
The results of the project are regularly presented in specialist forums, scientific publications and practical workshops. Interested stakeholders from research, industry and administration are invited to actively participate and help shape the innovations of ‘aqua³’.
Further information about the project can be found here.