Solucir at a glance

What’s SOLUCIR about?

As urban populations swell and climate change reshapes our environment, traditional centralised water systems are struggling to keep up. SOLUCIR is an EU-funded project dedicated to accelerating the transition toward circular and decentralised water and wastewater solutions. By integrating local, modular systems with existing infrastructure, we create a “hybrid” model that is more flexible, cost-effective, and resilient. Our vision is to unlock the full potential of water reuse at the source, reducing pollution, saving energy, and securing water supplies for urban, peri-urban, and post-disaster environments.

Solucir vision

Document and compare 24 existing “Inspirational Pilots” to identify the best practices and transferable lessons for scaling up decentralised systems.

See Inspirational Pilots

Create a risk-based optimization toolbox that helps utilities and policymakers evaluate integrated (centralised + decentralised) water options across health, financial, and climate risks.

Deploy “Digital Twin” blueprints and AI-driven analytics to provide operators with a “Common Operational Picture” for remote monitoring and management.

Demonstrate the “SOLUCIR Bubble“, a model that supports co-design and enhances public engagement to increase the societal readiness of new water solutions.

Develop performance-based financial frameworks and Public-Private Partnerships to ensure the long-term economic viability of circular water systems.

Our Methodology

LEARNING FROM EXISTING CASES (INSPIRATIONAL PILOTS)

We begin by studying 24 Inspirational Pilots (IPLs) across Europe. We use Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Knowledge Graphs to transform their data into the SOLUCIR Smart Insights Hub, a publicly accessible digital knowledge base that reveals what works on the ground.

CO-CREATING IN THE SOLUCIR BUBBLE

Innovation doesn’t happen in a vacuum. We use the “SOLUCIR Bubble”, a collaborative model, to bring together policymakers, industry experts, and communities. This ensures that the solutions we design are socially accepted, market-ready, and aligned with local needs.

DEVELOPING THE INNOVATION TOOLKIT:

We provide decision-makers with the high-tech tools they need to succeed, including:

The Decision Framework (DF): For planning safe and circular multi-source water systems.
The Digital Innovation Toolkit: Featuring Digital Twins and AI analytics for efficient operations.
Dynamic LCA Tools: For tracking environmental and social impacts in real-time.

REAL-WORLD PATHFINDING STUDIES

The project culminates in 5+1 Pathfinding Studies. These are not just theoretical reports; they are detailed, endorsed plans for large-scale adoption in five EU regions and one international case in South Africa. These studies demonstrate how circular solutions can “augment” existing services to cover at least 30% more water demand through decentralised means.

BUILDING POLICY & PROFESSIONAL CAPACITY

To ensure the project’s legacy, we deliver a Policy Support Package to help navigate regulatory hurdles and offer Life-Long Learning (LLL) courses to upskill the next generation of water utility managers and local authorities.