Recycling public swimming pool water for canal flushing

Brief intro to the WaterMan pilot measure

In Braniewo, Poland, water from the public indoor swimming pool is treated in a local recirculation system so that, after several stages of purification, it can be used for municipal purposes, such as cleaning the sewage system. Specifically, it is the drinking water regularly used to backwash the pool’s filter system. Up to 50 percent of this backwash wastewater can be reused. The closed-loop treatment of this water includes coagulation (flocculation), sedimentation, as well as natural dechlorination and odour removal.

The system is designed to have the potential to achieve water quality benchmarked against classes A/B under EU Regulation 2020/741. Over the coming months, this level will be validated in live operation through routine monitoring to ensure it can be met reliably and consistently. Overall, the measure enables the recovery of around 15 percent of the pool’s total drinking-water consumption that would otherwise be discharged to the sewer during daily operations.

  • Type of pilot measure: Real-world implementation
  • Location: Braniewo (Poland)
  • Water source: Wastewater from a public indoor swimming pool
  • Type of treatment: Natural dechlorination, coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation
  • Target water quality: Quality class A/B according to Directive (EU) 2020/741
  • Utilisation: Cleaning of the sewage system, other municipal purposes
  • Return to natural cycle: Discharge into sewage system
  • Responsible: Braniewo Municipality / Gdańsk University of Technology
  • Operational & open for visitors: Since Sept 2025

Further information on the pilot measure

Technical-organisational concept (current status)
(pdf, 3,0 MB)
Take a look at these slides for a concise overview of the current progress and results of this pilot measure.

The evolution of the concept (until today)
(pdf, 5,0 MB)

These slides document the progress of the pilot measure – including key considerations, recommendations, and decisions at each stage. Scroll through to follow the process chronologically, from the initial idea all the way to the current status.

“A Fresh Dive into Water Recycling “ - read the full story behind the pilot measure

It is astonishing, really, that recycling swimming‑pool water has never been systematically tested before. In this sense, the pilot in Braniewo – set up by the local municipal administration in cooperation with the Gdańsk University of Technology – is a true pioneering achievement, with encouraging results. Read more...

In-depth information on the pilot measure

Technical-organisational concept (current status)These slides provide a more detailed overview on the pilot measure.

Download slides

The evolution of the concept (until today)These slides give an account of the work process behind the chosen technical-organisational concept, incl. considerations, recommendations and decisions taken at different stages. Scroll through the slides to chronologically follow the iterative “development journey” of the pilot measure step-by-step, from the initial idea to its present status!

Download slides

Collection of further materials

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    The content of this website is the sole responsibility of the author and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union, the Managing Authority or the Joint Secretariat of the South Baltic Cross-border Cooperation Programme 2014-2020. The project UMBRELLA is partly financed from the Interreg South Baltic Programme 2014-2020 through the European Regional Development Fund.