Danish Water Runs in the White House

22 March 2016

The US is facing challenges on drought and unnecessary waste of water resources. Over the years to come, billion-dollar investments will have to be made to reduce the Americans' water and energy consumption. Danish water-technology businesses have many of the solutions that Americans are thirsting for, and therefore a handful of Danish businesses have been invited to show their expertise at the White House.

At the "Moonshot for Water" summit today, Danish businesses will be demonstrating solutions to President Obama and more than 200 of the most important decision makers in the US. The solutions is illustrated in a model city built of 20,000 Lego blocks with a 1.5m-tall skyscraper, water supply, wastewater treatment plant and a hovering helicopter.

- The Lego model demonstrates the very best of Danish water technology, from groundwater mapping to efficient drinking-water supply systems and energy-producing wastewater treatment plants. We have total solutions, which are also energy-neutral, and we are eager to share this with our Americans friends, says the Danish Minister for Environment and Food, Esben Lunde Larsen.

Denmark's participation in the water summit is a result of a close dialogue between the Obama administration and the Danish authorities.

The solutions are here
Denmark has a global reputation as frontrunner within water technology.

Jesper Kjelds, Senior Vice President, from the Kamstrup metering company in Denmark is one of the four experts scheduled to present Danish water solutions at the White House:

-The US’s goal to reduce water consumption by 33 percent or more is certainly feasible with known technology, said Jesper Kjelds, Senior Vice President with Kamstrup.

- With intelligent water networks, it is possible to reduce water wastage in the network, optimize resources and enable consumers and businesses to reduce energy and water consumption without sacrificing comfort or economic growth.

Søren Hvilshøj, Global Market Director at Rambøll, is looking forward to visiting the White House:

-We have been on the American market for about one year, and can see that there is great interest in Danish water solutions, including blue-green climate-change adaptation projects in which water naturally seeps into the subsurface instead of being conducted away in pipes. In many cases, this approach is both cheaper and better, because it allows us to exploit the blue-green areas for recreational purposes, as we can already see in several places in Denmark. This aspect is clearly demonstrated in the Lego model, and I look forward to presenting the model at the White House.

The consortium behind the Lego model consists of Leif Koch, an expert in leak detection, experts in groundwater surveying from Skytem, the Kamstrup metering company, Rambøll, experts in hydraulics from DHI, the AVK valve company, Danfoss, Grundfos, Association of Waterworks in Denmark, the Danish Water and Waste Water Association, MCH Messecenter Herning (the organisers behind the upcoming water exhibition in Copenhagen, Vandtek), State of Green, Denmark's green marketing consortium and Danish Water Technology Group. The consortium has been given the opportunity to demonstrate Danish products and know-how at "Moonshot for Water" organised in connection with UN’s World Water Day.

Further information
Steen Jensen, Press Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Food: tel.: +45 9359 7071, e-mail: [email protected]
Katrine Rafn, Head of Department, Danish Nature Agency, tel.: +45 4131 8538, e-mail: [email protected]
Jesper Daugaard, Senior Vice President of Global Marketing at Kamstrup, tel.: +45 5126 6657, e-mail: [email protected]
Søren Hvilshøj, Global Market Director of Rambøll, tel.: +45 5161 8245, e-mail: [email protected]

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Source: Press release from Ministry of Environment and Food of Denmark