FOVAROSI VIZMUVEK ZARTKORUEN MUKODORESZVENYTARSASAG

Their core work

Budapest Waterworks is the public water utility serving Hungary's capital, responsible for drinking water supply, wastewater management, and water infrastructure for over 1.8 million residents. In H2020 projects, they serve as a real-world testing ground and end-user for water treatment technologies, smart metering systems, and pollution prevention approaches. Their participation brings operational utility expertise — they know what works at city scale, what regulators require, and what consumers expect from water services. They bridge the gap between laboratory research and full-scale municipal water operations.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Budapest Waterworks began with conventional water treatment demonstrations (AquaNES, 2016) and then moved into digital transformation of utility operations through smart metering procurement (SMART.MET, 2017). Their most recent engagement shifts toward environmental chemistry and regulatory compliance, tackling PFAS contamination and circular economy principles in PROMISCES (2021). The trajectory shows a utility evolving from infrastructure operator to one actively engaged with both digitalization and emerging pollution challenges.

Moving toward regulatory-driven environmental challenges (PFAS, zero-pollution) and digital utility management — two areas where EU funding and policy pressure are intensifying.

How they like to work

Budapest Waterworks always participates as a partner, never as coordinator — consistent with their role as an end-user and demonstration site rather than a research driver. With 66 unique partners across 15 countries, they are well-connected for a utility company, suggesting they are valued by consortia as a credible large-scale validation partner. Their involvement in diverse funding schemes (RIA, IA, PCP) shows flexibility in taking on different project formats.

Connected to 66 partners across 15 countries, giving them a broad European network for a municipal utility. Their partnerships span research institutions, technology developers, and fellow utilities across the EU.

What sets them apart

Budapest Waterworks offers something rare in H2020 consortia: a major capital-city water utility willing to serve as a real-world testbed for new technologies. They bring operational scale (Budapest's entire water network), regulatory knowledge of Central European markets, and direct access to end-user infrastructure. For technology developers needing a large municipal demonstration site in the CEE region, they are an ideal validation partner.

Highlights from their portfolio

• SMART.MET
  A Pre-Commercial Procurement project — rare funding type where the utility acts as the buyer driving innovation in smart water metering, with their largest budget share (EUR 482,541).
• PROMISCES
  Addresses the hot-button issue of PFAS contamination ('forever chemicals') in water systems, positioning the utility at the forefront of EU zero-pollution policy implementation.
• AquaNES
  Demonstrated hybrid natural-engineered water treatment systems, combining ecological approaches with conventional engineering at utility scale.