{"id":14052,"date":"2026-03-24T00:23:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-23T22:23:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/test.varbane.com\/?post_type=impact-project&#038;p=14052"},"modified":"2026-03-26T00:16:32","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T22:16:32","slug":"valoo-impact-projekt-rahmenbedingungen-fuer-eine-zirkulaere-abwasserentsorgung-genf","status":"publish","type":"impact-project","link":"https:\/\/va-loo.ch\/en\/impact-project\/valoo-impact-projekt-rahmenbedingungen-fuer-eine-zirkulaere-abwasserentsorgung-genf\/","title":{"rendered":"VaLoo Impact Project: Framework Conditions for Circular Sanitation (Geneva)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>VaLoo's Impact Projects address regulatory challenges related to closing water and nutrient cycles using innovative real-world examples. The goal is to develop favorable framework conditions in collaboration with field actors, scientists, and authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>VaLoo's Impact Projects address regulatory challenges related to closing water and nutrient cycles using innovative real-world examples. The goal is to develop favorable framework conditions in collaboration with field actors, scientists, and authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Starting point:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Geneva, thanks to the influence of pilot circular sanitation projects in urban areas already carried out by the \u00c9quilibre cooperative, around ten new projects have been launched since 2020. Faced with this proliferation of pilot projects, it became necessary to establish framework conditions (in particular, in-depth chemical and bacteriological monitoring of the quality of treated water) for the smooth and coordinated development of circular sanitation projects in urban areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Several housing cooperatives and other project owners in Geneva are taking action to rethink their water management and develop circular sanitation systems in the city. The authorization and development of circular sanitation projects in urban areas are only possible through pilot projects that are exempt from the obligation to connect to the sewer system. Due to the growing number of requests, the lack of a clear regulatory framework, and the limited amount of data on the chemical and bacteriological quality of treated wastewater, a moratorium on new projects has been put in place in Geneva.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In spring 2023, the cantonal authorities set up and chaired a steering committee (COPIL) bringing together the various cantonal entities concerned by the subject as well as the VSA. VaLoo, EAWAG, and HEPIA are invited to participate in COPIL meetings as external stakeholders. The objectives of this COPIL include monitoring pilot projects in Geneva, developing a regulatory framework, and coordinating scientific studies, particularly on the agricultural use of urine and treated wastewater, which are necessary for a proper understanding of the benefits and risks associated with circular sanitation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Project <\/strong><strong>des <\/strong><strong>objective<\/strong><strong>:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>To promote the establishment of framework conditions that enable the long-term development of circular sanitation systems in urban areas by collaborating with state actors at the technical level and as a source of proposals.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>To promote exchanges between cantons and between the cantons and the federal government on the subject of circular sanitation in urban areas.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Project activities:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Participation in the steering committee for circular sanitation in Geneva<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Technical support, dissemination, information sharing, and development of documents and knowledge to aid decision-making for the steering committee (project lists and descriptions, facility visits, financial and water balance analyses, proposals for framework conditions (quality standards, operating conditions, regulatory framework, multi-barrier approaches), research projects)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Organization of workshops for exchange between stakeholders in the field and cantonal authorities, as well as between authorities from different cantons (VD, NE, JU, VS, FR, ZU)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Situation at the end of the project: <\/strong><strong>Projekts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A steering committee bringing together the various cantonal entities concerned by the subject has been set up by the canton of Geneva to study and establish the framework conditions for the development of circular sanitation in Geneva.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Thirteen circular sanitation pilot projects in urban areas have been approved or are currently under review in Geneva.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A self-monitoring protocol for circular sanitation systems has been developed by the Geneva cantonal authorities (OCEAU).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>An action research project on the reuse of treated water has been launched by COPIL in collaboration with Eawag and with the support of four cantons in French-speaking Switzerland.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>An initial inter-cantonal workshop in French-speaking Switzerland on the subject of circular sanitation took place in November 2025.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The cantonal authorities in Zurich are currently analyzing the possibility of forming a COPIL on circular sanitation in Zurich.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>International experts are invited to participate in the steering committee on an ad hoc basis to share their expertise on specific topics.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The prospects for establishing favorable framework conditions for the development of circular sanitation systems in urban areas are promising.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Outlook:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The continuation of the Impact Project \"Framework Conditions for Circular Sanitation\" 2026-2027 is currently being developed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Stakeholders<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Cantonal authorities<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Geneva cantonal authorities, primarily the OCEau, are keen to prepare the canton for future climate change and are taking a proactive approach to circular sanitation. The OCEau is the initiator of COPIL Genevois. It is leading and coordinating this initiative, which aims to define the framework conditions for circular sanitation in Geneva. COPIL invited aneco and VaLoo to participate in COPIL meetings, during which many constructive discussions took place.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Discussions also took place with the cantonal authorities of other Swiss cantons.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"2\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Practical partners of the Impact VaLoo project<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>aneco, promoter and coordinator of the Impact VaLoo project<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>the \u00c9quilibre and La Bistoquette housing cooperatives and the atba architectural firm, technical support<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Stutz environmental law, legal support<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>VaLoo, responsible for project supervision and coordination of legal issues<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"3\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Scientific support<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Researchers from Eawag, UniGE, and HEPIA contributed by participating in COPIL meetings and sharing their expertise and scientific knowledge on the subject.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"4\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Financial support<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Supported by VaLoo and the Leenaards Foundation. Made possible by the Migros Pioneer Fund, VaLoo is advancing resource-oriented sanitation in Switzerland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-grid wp-container-core-group-is-layout-b757edec wp-block-group-is-layout-grid\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-center is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-23441af8 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"195\" src=\"https:\/\/va-loo.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/migros-logo_DE.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-14053\" srcset=\"https:\/\/va-loo.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/migros-logo_DE.png 1400w, https:\/\/va-loo.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/migros-logo_DE-600x84.png 600w, https:\/\/va-loo.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/migros-logo_DE-768x107.png 768w, https:\/\/va-loo.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/migros-logo_DE-18x3.png 18w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"856\" height=\"488\" src=\"https:\/\/va-loo.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/fl.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-14054\" srcset=\"https:\/\/va-loo.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/fl.png 856w, https:\/\/va-loo.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/fl-600x342.png 600w, https:\/\/va-loo.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/fl-768x438.png 768w, https:\/\/va-loo.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/fl-18x10.png 18w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 856px) 100vw, 856px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>VaLoo's Impact Projects address regulatory challenges related to closing water and nutrient cycles using innovative real-world examples.<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":14056,"template":"","class_list":["post-14052","impact-project","type-impact-project","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"meta_box":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/va-loo.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/impact-project\/14052","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/va-loo.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/impact-project"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/va-loo.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/impact-project"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/va-loo.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14056"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/va-loo.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14052"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}