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The Danish model for sustainable water solutions
Denmark is a world leader as regards aquatic environment issues and is renowned for
exemplary cooperation between the public and private sectors. Exports of environmental
technology and environmental administrative knowledge are therefore expanding rapidly. In
this respect private-sector consultancy firms play a major role.
Danish drinking water policy is based on groundwater protection:
 | Prevention and source-oriented efforts |
 | Higher priority is accorded to contamination prevention than to subsequent purification |
 | Designation of particularly valuable water abstraction areas (as regards resource size,
quality, protection requirements, etc.) |
Danish wastewater policy aims to:
 | Minimize discharges of hazardous substances |
 | Allow discharges of other substances provided the aquatic environment is not harmed |
 | Protect the environment by imposing limits on discharges of organic matter, nitrogen and
phosphorus from major wastewater treatment plants that are tailored to the pollution
sensitivity of the recipient waters |
Transfer of know-how
The Danish Environmental Protection Agency (Danish EPA) - often in collaboration with
Danish companies and authorities - advises and assists other countries on a series of
environmental issues.
In recent years, a number of Danish counties and public water utilities have been
involved in the transfer of know-how to Eastern Europe, as well as to the developing
countries. Denmark is thus able to provide public expertise on an international level.
In this context, Danish consultancy firms play a major role, mainly operating alone in
the water sector, but also in close cooperation with various public stakeholders.
The international water sector projects in which Denmark participates are staffed by
personnel with practical experience in jobs similar to those of the client - typically key
personnel in technical, financial and managerial positions.

Examples of services and assistance offered by consultancy firms or public and private
entities in cooperation are shown in the text box below.
Danish assistance:
 | Preparing draft legislation, regulations, directives, guidelines, etc. |
 | Administering and enforcing legislation, supervision, emission standards, etc. |
 | Formulating action plans |
 | Monitoring the state of the environment, collecting knowledge and information on
environmental conditions |
 | Deploying economic instruments |
 | Training |
 | Institutional development at national and regional levels |
 | Organization, preparation and implementation of environmental administration and
supervision of groundwater, drinking water, wastewater and surface waters (watercourses,
lakes and coastal waters) |
 | Development of water and wastewater utility management and operation covering technical,
administrative and organizational aspects as well as customer relations |
|
This assistance is based on the Danish tradition of:
 | Holistic management |
 | Optimization of operation and maintenance |
 | Consumer-oriented services |

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