Water supply, sewerage, wastewater treatment and modern technologies are all part of an infrastructure that people usually notice only when it stops working. Brno Waterworks and Sewerage therefore focuses not only on renewing its networks, but also on supply security, digitalisation, energy efficiency and new wastewater-treatment requirements. Daniel Struž, Chairman of the Board of BVK, explains how the role of a modern water utility is changing and why Brno must strengthen the long-term resilience of its entire water-management system.
Brno is one of the large cities increasingly having to address the impacts of climate change. How do you assess the long-term security of the city’s drinking-water sources, and which measures do you consider important for the decades ahead?
Climate change is affecting the water sector throughout Europe, and Brno is no exception. Our priority is to ensure that residents of Brno and the surrounding towns and municipalities we serve have access to high-quality drinking water not only today, but also in ten, twenty or thirty years. We therefore combine several types of measures – technical, operational and strategic.
The resilience of Brno’s water-supply system is based on two sources: groundwater from Březová nad Svitavou and surface water from the Vír reservoir, treated at Švařec. Combining these sources strengthens supply stability during droughts and emergencies. At the same time, we protect water sources, support measures that retain water in the landscape, and invest in infrastructure modernisation, operational digitalisation and reducing water losses. Every litre that does not have to be taken from nature is important in a changing climate. I am convinced that responsible water management will be one of the most important issues of the future. Our task is to ensure that Brno and its surroundings have a stable and secure supply of drinking water even as the climate changes.
Water-management infrastructure usually remains invisible to residents until a problem occurs. How significant a challenge is the renewal of Brno’s water and sewerage networks, and how do you determine priorities for individual projects?
Renewing the water and sewerage networks is a long-term strategic challenge. It is carried out in cooperation with the City of Brno as the infrastructure owner. Priorities are determined according to technical condition, frequency of failures, age of the networks, their importance for supply, and coordination with other investments. Modern diagnostics and data analysis allow us to predict risks more accurately and invest where renewal will have the greatest effect.
Hundreds of millions of Czech crowns are invested in network renewal each year. How do you coordinate these investments with the City of Brno and other infrastructure operators so that repairs disrupt traffic, businesses and residents’ daily lives as little as possible?
The City of Brno finances infrastructure renewal from rent paid by the water utility – in 2026, this amounts to approximately CZK 941 million. Under a mandate agreement, the water utility provides technical preparation and construction coordination while also investing around CZK 380 million annually in repairs. We plan investments jointly with the city and other network operators to minimise their impact on traffic and residents’ daily lives. Phasing construction work, coordinating with other networks and communicating with the public in good time are all essential.
A new sludge-management facility is being built at the Brno–Modřice wastewater treatment plant. What is the main reason for this investment, and what specific changes will it bring to the plant, the city and the environment?
We are modernising equipment that is nearing the end of its service life and preparing the treatment plant for future requirements and the region’s growing load. The project includes new digestion tanks, sludge-treatment technologies and a modern gas-management system. It will increase the plant’s capacity, efficiency and energy self-sufficiency. Drying the sludge will reduce the volume of transported material by up to 60%, resulting in lower emissions and less transport.
European and Czech water-management policies are moving towards stricter wastewater-treatment requirements, including discussions about tertiary and quaternary treatment. How is Brno preparing for this future, and how does the current modernisation of sludge management fit into it?
Future legislation will require more effective removal of nitrogen and phosphorus as well as micropollutants such as pharmaceutical residues and microplastics. Modernising sludge management increases the treatment plant’s stability, capacity and energy efficiency, while laying the foundation for advanced treatment stages that will require more energy.
Brno is one of the most advanced cities in the Czech Republic in introducing smart water meters. What has the project changed for customers, and what has it brought to the water utility in terms of consumption management, meter reading and leak detection?
Smart water meters give customers greater convenience through remote readings and a better overview of their consumption. They make it possible to detect leaks and technical problems more quickly. For the water utility, they provide more accurate data, more efficient operations and faster identification of faults and water losses. They are an important tool for modern and sustainable water management.
Today’s water sector combines traditional engineering, digitalisation, energy, environmental requirements and customer communication. How is the role of modern water utilities changing, and what kind of company should BVK be in ten years?
The role of water utilities is changing significantly. It is no longer only about producing and supplying drinking water and collecting and treating wastewater, but about operating complex infrastructure that combines technology, digitalisation, energy and environmental protection. In ten years, BVK should be a technologically advanced, energy-efficient and customer-oriented company that uses data to manage operations, strengthens its energy self-sufficiency and remains a trusted partner for the city and its residents. Our ambition is to be a leader in modern water management in the Czech Republic.
Thank you for the interview.
