First Name:
MARIELA
Last Name:
ANTONAKOPOULOU
Type of BP
Technical solution
Typology of Non- Conventional Water Resources (NCWR) What kind of NCWR do you deal with ?:
Brackish water (BrW)
What are the challenges raised by your Best Practice?
Difficult access to water, Environmental pollution, Move towards zero discharge at local level, Low sustainability of the treatment system, Vulnerability to climate Change, Other (Please specify below)
Other challenges
Significant water losses that occur at the water treatment plant. / Urban water supply network is struggling to meet demand.
How could you describe your Best Practice?
The Schimatari Water Treatment Plant is located in the Municipality of Tanagra,
The Municipality of Tanagra is a municipality in the region of Central Greece, which was established with the Kallikratis Program on January 1, 2011. The composition of the new municipality resulted from the merging of the pre-existing municipalities of Dervenochoria, Oinophyta, Schimatari and Tanagra, which were the Municipal units of the Municipality. From December 2014, the 5th municipal unit (Delio) was created by merging the settlements of Delesi and Plaka. The area of the new Municipality is 554.01 sq.km and its population is 18,500 inhabitants, according to the Census of 2021.
The Municipality of Tanagra, and especially the Municipal Section of Schimatari and Kallithea, as part of the Prefecture of Viotia, is one of the most water stressed areas of the mainland of Greece. That is mainly due to the intensive agricultural and industrial activities that take place in the area as well as due to the significant water losses that occur in the distribution system, starting from the municipal water treatment plants. According to the Technical Service of the Municipality, the total water losses in the Municipality reach 40%. The urban water supply network is struggling to meet demand, particularly in the summer months, and such conditions often fuel tensions at community level between competing water uses.
Raw water from the Mornos Channel is conveyed to the Schimatari Water Treatment Plant, where it is stored and then pumped through sand and carbon filters. The treated water is collected in a filtered water tank and distributed to the Municipality, with a portion also used for filter backwashing. The resulting backwash water is directed to a dedicated backwash tank before being discharged to the sewage system.
Filter backwash water from the existing backwash tank is treated through a pipe flocculation unit, where flocculants are added and mixed, then directed to a sedimentation tank to reduce suspended solids and turbidity. The partially treated water is stored in an intermediate tank for further settling and flow stabilization before being pumped through a sand filter for final polishing. The treated water is then returned to the raw water tank, re-entering the existing treatment process before being supplied to the Municipality’s distribution network.
The project is expected to save and reuse approximately 400 million liters of water per year. By recovering and reusing all water losses generated during the treatment process, the system makes 100% of this water available to the local community. As a result, the Schimatari Water Treatment Plant increases its operational efficiency by 7–10% while achieving near-zero liquid discharge. This intervention represents a significant step toward the sustainable and efficient use of Mornos water resources and enhances the area's resilience to drought and water scarcity.
The upgrade of the WTP was commissioned in October 2025, and is in full operation.
The Municipality of Tanagra is a municipality in the region of Central Greece, which was established with the Kallikratis Program on January 1, 2011. The composition of the new municipality resulted from the merging of the pre-existing municipalities of Dervenochoria, Oinophyta, Schimatari and Tanagra, which were the Municipal units of the Municipality. From December 2014, the 5th municipal unit (Delio) was created by merging the settlements of Delesi and Plaka. The area of the new Municipality is 554.01 sq.km and its population is 18,500 inhabitants, according to the Census of 2021.
The Municipality of Tanagra, and especially the Municipal Section of Schimatari and Kallithea, as part of the Prefecture of Viotia, is one of the most water stressed areas of the mainland of Greece. That is mainly due to the intensive agricultural and industrial activities that take place in the area as well as due to the significant water losses that occur in the distribution system, starting from the municipal water treatment plants. According to the Technical Service of the Municipality, the total water losses in the Municipality reach 40%. The urban water supply network is struggling to meet demand, particularly in the summer months, and such conditions often fuel tensions at community level between competing water uses.
Raw water from the Mornos Channel is conveyed to the Schimatari Water Treatment Plant, where it is stored and then pumped through sand and carbon filters. The treated water is collected in a filtered water tank and distributed to the Municipality, with a portion also used for filter backwashing. The resulting backwash water is directed to a dedicated backwash tank before being discharged to the sewage system.
Filter backwash water from the existing backwash tank is treated through a pipe flocculation unit, where flocculants are added and mixed, then directed to a sedimentation tank to reduce suspended solids and turbidity. The partially treated water is stored in an intermediate tank for further settling and flow stabilization before being pumped through a sand filter for final polishing. The treated water is then returned to the raw water tank, re-entering the existing treatment process before being supplied to the Municipality’s distribution network.
The project is expected to save and reuse approximately 400 million liters of water per year. By recovering and reusing all water losses generated during the treatment process, the system makes 100% of this water available to the local community. As a result, the Schimatari Water Treatment Plant increases its operational efficiency by 7–10% while achieving near-zero liquid discharge. This intervention represents a significant step toward the sustainable and efficient use of Mornos water resources and enhances the area's resilience to drought and water scarcity.
The upgrade of the WTP was commissioned in October 2025, and is in full operation.
Please describe your Best Practice in 5 keywords?
Urban Water Management , Water loss reduction , Filter backwash water , Water Treatment Plant , Water recovery and reuse
Please provide any links to useful documentations (including website)presenting your Best Practice
In which area has your Best Practice been implemented ?
Urban area
Best Practice location implementation (Country)
Greece
Localisation
POINT (23.532694 38.254389), POINT (23.571425 38.355183)
Who are the beneficiaries and/or the target group of your Best Practice ?
Water Utilities, Local Population, Municipalities, Householders, Other (Please specify below)
Other beneficiaries
Industries
f the Best Practice has been implemented within a partnership, who were your partners ?
• The Coca Cola Foundation
• The Coca-Cola HBC
• The Coca-Cola HBC
Have you involved stakeholders?
Yes
Please list them
• Municipality of Tanagra - owner
• Regional Authority of Central Greece – Regulation and permitting
• Municipal Technical Services – Technical support
• Local community – user
• Regional Authority of Central Greece – Regulation and permitting
• Municipal Technical Services – Technical support
• Local community – user
What are the obstacles to implementation of Best Practice ?
Isuffi cient funding instruments to support solution for NCW, High cost of technological solutions, Lack of training of professionals to take up best practices in their portfolio
Did you receive funding for the research and development of the proposed BP?
Yes
Please indicate the source of funding
Private financing
What difficulties you have faced to access the funding ?
The funding comes from the private sector. The difficulty was to establish the engagement and prove that such solutions can be effective.
Has your Best Practice been validated/upscaled?
The commissioning date of the technical solution at the WTP in Schimatari was in 17 of October 2025.
Is there the potential to exploit/outscale the Best Practice?
This Best Practice is a scaled-up intervention of a previous GWP-Med project (2023) which also took place in Tanagra Municipality in another WTP and will be replicated in the remaining two WTP of the Municipality.
Do you have or know any platform of sharing Best Practice that you would like to link to this inventory platform?
No
Does your Best Practice contribute to an innovation? If so, please provide a short description of the innovative component
The innovative component is the retreatment of filter backwash water and its recirculation through the Water Treatment process at the WTP of Tanagra Municipality.
The recirculation / retreatment system which has been installed has the capacity to recirculate 100% the filter backwash water which is being produced. The finally treated backwash water is forwarded to the raw water tank and after the treatment process by the existing equipment of the Water Treatment Plant the clean water is distributed to the Municipality
Through this retreatment process the WTP increases its efficiency by 7 – 10 % and achieves near Zero-Liquid Discharge.
The recirculation / retreatment system which has been installed has the capacity to recirculate 100% the filter backwash water which is being produced. The finally treated backwash water is forwarded to the raw water tank and after the treatment process by the existing equipment of the Water Treatment Plant the clean water is distributed to the Municipality
Through this retreatment process the WTP increases its efficiency by 7 – 10 % and achieves near Zero-Liquid Discharge.
What technolog(ies) and/or tool(s) has(ve) been used for your Best Practice ?
Sand filters for the primary filtration of suspended solids., Carbon filters to remove organic compounds, improving water taste and odor., Pumps to convey water through the filtration systems, Storage tanks for filtered, backwash, and intermediate flow stabilization., Pipe flocculation unit to aggregate fine particles into larger clumps using added chemicals., Chemical dosing systems for adding and mixing flocculants., Sedimentation tank to separate flocculated particles, reducing suspended solids and turbidity., Polishing sand filter to perform the final filtration step on the recovered backwash water., Recycling system piping treated backwash water back into the raw water tank., Distribution network to transport the final treated water to the municipality.
Please indicate the TRL associated with your Best Practice
TRL9 : Actual system proven in operational environment (competitivemanufacturing in the case of key enabling technologies)
Flow rate (m3/day)
1100.00
Flow rate
Raw filter backwash water
What is the necessary area to implement your Best Practice (m2) ?
70.00
What is the necessary area to implement your BP ?
Design Attached/ Filter Backwash water recirculation and treatement process_WTP Schimatari
Comment : Salinity
NA
Suspended solids SS (mg/l)
144.00
Comment : Suspended solids SS
(2-286) Back wash
Comment : COD
NA
Comment : BOD5
NA
Comment : Phosphorus content
NA
NA
Pathogens
NA
Flow rate (m3/day) of treated NCW
1100.00
Efficiency (BOD5 % Removal)
NA
Comment : Efficiency (COD % Removal):
NA
Efficiency (SS % Removal):
99.30
Efficiency (Salinity % Removal)
NA
Comment : Other (% Removal)
NA
What is the impact on the beneficiaries of your Best Practice ?:
Within the framework of the Programme, GWP-Med places particular emphasis on social impact. In addition to increasing water availability for the local community and enabling the water treatment plant (WTP) to achieve zero-discharge operation, GWP-Med collaborated with the Mediterranean Education Initiative on Environment and Sustainability (MEdIES) to implement educational activities for school students and teachers. A total of 235 students participated in hands-on, interactive learning activities, including the Water Magnetic Board and the Snakes and Ladders educational game, designed to raise awareness of water resources and sustainable water management. Teachers, in collaboration with the Centre for Environmental Education (CEE) of Thiva, Boeotia, also took part in capacity-building events focused on strengthening water resources education and environmental awareness.
Total Cost (€):
400000.00
Comment : Total Cost:
400000 Euros (Capital Cost) Opex is provided by the Municipality
Comment : O&M Cost:
Municipality costs (unknown)
Capital Cost (€):
400000.00
Capital Cost
Depreciation period less 3 years 400.000m3 per year are sold by the Municipality at a price of 0.35 €/m3
Comment : Average Energy consumption:
NA
Other (Please specify below)
Other Treated NCW use
Drinking water supply network
NA
Price of treated NCW (€/m3)
0.35
Is your Best Practice economically viable ?
10
Is your Best Practice environmentally sustainable ?
10
If there was a sustainability assessment carried out, what are the result of this assessment ?
NA
Comment : Number of jobs created &/or preserved
NA
Please indicate the other various social impact of your Best Practice :
Preservation of living environment, Sustaining natural ecosystems
To which Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) your Best Practice contributes?
SDG6: Clean Water and Sanitation, SDG9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, SDG11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, SDG12: Responsible Consumption and Production, SDG13: Climate Action, SDG17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal
This Best Practice constitutes a model case of successful investment in optimization of water assets, to prolong their lifespan, increase their capacity, and yield multiple benefits towards adaptation and resilience to climate change and other pressures.
The project through which the BP was implemented, provided several WASH and Climate Resilience benefits to the Local Community and serves as a large pilot, paving the way for a scaling-up of related projects in the Municipality and other locations in Greece and the Mediterranean region. Additionally, it will promote Environmental and Sustainable Business practices to the public sector. GWP-Med’s approach, as an international non-profit organization specializing on water resources management, is to encourage the public and private sector and establish a multistakeholder partnership for the design and delivery of water related Programmes, increasing trust and ownership and thus securing the sustainability of the interventions.
The project through which the BP was implemented, provided several WASH and Climate Resilience benefits to the Local Community and serves as a large pilot, paving the way for a scaling-up of related projects in the Municipality and other locations in Greece and the Mediterranean region. Additionally, it will promote Environmental and Sustainable Business practices to the public sector. GWP-Med’s approach, as an international non-profit organization specializing on water resources management, is to encourage the public and private sector and establish a multistakeholder partnership for the design and delivery of water related Programmes, increasing trust and ownership and thus securing the sustainability of the interventions.
Please indicate the acronyms of used &/or developed technologies/Tools:
Desinfection process, Chlorination, Physical process, Sedimentation, Screening, Flocculation-coagulation, Filtration, Dewatering