From hose watering bans in Sweden to drought-hit Cyprus, it’s becoming increasingly clear that water stress is a Europe-wide issue
From hose watering bans in Sweden to drought-hit Cyprus, it’s becoming increasingly clear that water stress is a Europe-wide issue — even in Northern Europe, where we’ve often taken water for granted.
Some striking statistics from this Financial Times article (link below):
💧 On average, 25% of water in Europe is lost through leaks before it even reaches the consumer.
♻️ Only 2.4% of water is reused on-site.
The EU estimates that €23 𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫 is needed to tackle these challenges.
The European Commission is now encouraging member states to reduce water use by 10% by 2030. It’s a clear signal that efficiency, infrastructure upgrades, leak reduction, and reuse need to be prioritized.
And while we fully support this direction, it’s important to note: 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲. It’s a recommendation — and recommendations don’t always lead to action.
The good news? There’s a growing wave of innovative solutions already working on the EU’s priority areas. From (AI-powered) monitoring tools to on-site water treatment and reuse systems, at PureTerra Ventures, we see a lot of opportunity to transform how water is managed — and we've already invested in several companies that are making this shift happen.