Enviromental protection
Environmental topics
Water resource protection
Water is a resource we must preserve
We supply groundwater drinking water to residents of Vilnius, Šalčininkai and Švenčionys cities and districts — one of our most valuable natural resources. Our responsibility is therefore not only to ensure a reliable water supply today, but also to protect this resource for future generations.
Saving water does not begin with encouraging people to use less. It starts with responsible infrastructure management, modern technologies and solutions that help prevent water losses.
We reduce water losses
Every undetected water leak means natural resources are being wasted.
That is why we continuously:
- renew water supply networks;
- monitor the condition of the networks;
- identify hidden leaks;
- implement solutions that allow us to detect and repair them more quickly.
This helps conserve groundwater resources and ensure a reliable water supply.
Digitalisation helps save water
We are implementing smart water metering solutions that enable us to monitor water consumption more accurately and detect potential leaks more quickly.
Informing residents about unusual changes in water consumption detected by the system can help identify faults in internal networks earlier and prevent greater water losses.
We invest in reliable infrastructure
Sustainable water management is impossible without long-term investment.
We continuously upgrade water extraction sites, water treatment facilities and water supply networks to ensure a safe drinking water supply and efficient use of water resources.
We make data-driven decisions
Digital solutions help us better understand how the water supply system operates, plan investments more accurately and manage infrastructure more efficiently.
This allows us to respond to changes more quickly, improve network reliability and use natural resources responsibly.
Responsible wastewater management
Pollution prevention and control
Prevention is just as important as response. To prevent incidents, we regularly assess risks, maintain infrastructure, audit processes and follow high safety and environmental standards.
If an incident does occur, we take action to minimise its impact on people and the environment.
Climate, energy and emissions
Reliable water supply requires a significant amount of energy. Water extraction, treatment, supply to residents and wastewater treatment operate around the clock. Energy is therefore one of the key elements of water management, and using it efficiently helps reduce the climate impact of our operations.
To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, we are steadily increasing the share of energy from renewable sources and investing in solutions that allow us to generate more of the energy we need ourselves.
We generate more of our own energy
We are expanding the network of solar power plants at our facilities and using other renewable energy sources. This helps reduce dependence on external energy suppliers, increase operational resilience and lower our climate impact.
Our long-term goal is to generate as much of the electricity needed for our operations as possible from renewable energy sources.
We also generate energy from wastewater treatment
Sludge produced during wastewater treatment is not treated as waste, but as a valuable source of energy. Biogas produced from sludge is used to generate electricity at the Vilnius wastewater treatment plant. In this way, we generate more than a quarter of the electricity required for our operations, reduce dependence on external energy suppliers and contribute to lowering greenhouse gas emissions.
Efficiency is just as important as generation
Our climate impact can be reduced not only through renewable energy, but also through more efficient energy use. That is why, when modernising infrastructure and implementing advanced technologies, we aim to make water supply and wastewater management processes as efficient as possible.
By 2035, the amount of electricity generated from solar, wind and hydropower, as well as sludge mono-incineration, is expected to reach 100% of the company’s total electricity demand.
Circularity and resource use
What remains after wastewater treatment can become a valuable resource. A circular economy means preserving the value of materials and resources for as long as possible, reducing waste and finding ways to reuse them. That is why, in the wastewater treatment process, we assess not only how to remove pollutants, but also how to use the resulting materials and create additional value.
Sludge becomes useful for the environment
Part of the sludge is composted, and the resulting compost is used to restore degraded areas, fertilise urban green spaces and support landscaping.
Another part is dried and used where it can replace primary raw materials or non-renewable fuels.
We contribute to the circular economy
Dried sludge is used in the cement industry as an alternative fuel, replacing coal and other fossil energy sources. This reduces the use of non-renewable resources and allows materials generated during wastewater treatment to be reused.
We look for new solutions
We continuously look for ways to use resources generated during wastewater treatment even more efficiently. We aim to increase energy self-sufficiency, expand biogas production and, in the future, introduce new technologies that would allow valuable materials, such as phosphorus, to be recovered from wastewater sludge as part of the circular economy process.
Greater use of biogas and a lower volume of sludge requiring disposal help us reduce our CO₂ footprint and use resources more efficiently.
Biodiversity and ecosystems
By protecting water, we also protect nature. Water bodies and the ecosystems surrounding them are an integral part of biodiversity. By safeguarding water resources and ensuring high-quality wastewater treatment, we contribute to the protection of rivers, lakes and other natural habitats.
