Ultimate goal First Base targets Important first steps

Definitions

For the production of a festival, the following aspects of water resources management need to be considered in the festivals’ effort to become circular and climate neutral:Essential water use; including safe water for drinking and cooking, water for food preparation and dish washing, and water for sanitation purposes (including hand washing, showers, some toilet systems).Non-drinking water use; including as part of the scenography of the festival, dust control, water effects, toilet flushing, and hot tubs etc.Wastewater management; including the disposal of pee and black water (human solid waste), from the perspective of the destination of the wastewater and the impact of the end-of-life solution and the energy use.Local environmental impact; including the impact of the use, disposal and run-off of water on surface water, water courses and ground water, and the impact on (aquatic) ecology on and around the event sites.Water resilience; is adding the dimension on how water needs to be managed in the light of adapting events to the impacts of climate change, including: 1) Dealing with water scarcity, drought and heat stress, to store water and avoid local water scarcity from human and ecology perspectives, and; 2) Dealing with excess water, for instance during heavy rains.

Also, the associated impacts of how water is provided, such as emissions from transport from tankered water, or the impact of packaging need to be considered; this is taken into account in the themes Travel & Transport and Materials.

Examples of how to apply the R-ladder on Water & Sanitation
In line with the R-ladder, the GDCF strives for the highest level of circularity for water use, meaning prevention and reduction of non-essential water use, above reuse and disposal of wastewater. For essential water use, reducing consumption cannot be the goal; people require safe levels of hydration and hygiene, and in hotter weather conditions, higher water consumption may be desirable and safer.

Solutions for water reuse of some essential water usages (incl. safe water for drinking and cooking etc.), are less common, due to the need to meet strict safety legislation. It is important to make sure that all taps automatically switch off through the use of non-concussive taps and developing a culture of water saving.

The source of non-essential water usage onsite can safely be gained from a wider selection of sources. Options include rainwater collection systems, water purification systems, recycling water onsite, and boreholes (that may not be certified as safe drinking water). When looking at any water usage and provision onsite, it is important to remember that the situation at each event may be very different due to circumstances beyond control, but nonetheless, there are various ways to reduce environmental impacts, including for instance:

• technical measures to reduce water usage and to design out waste water;
• choose lower impact methods for providing water (use mains water over water in single use packaging or tankered water);
• choose a process for disposal of human waste for nutrient recovery and end of life use;
• strict working practices and monitoring to prevent pollution to the local environment.