StoPWa Project Partners Gather in Smiltene to Discuss Sustainable Stormwater Management
From 22 to 23 April 2026, a partner meeting of the Interreg Central Baltic Sea Region project “StoPWa” took place in Smiltene. During the meeting, sector experts and partners from several countries shared their experience, assessed the results achieved, and visited infrastructure sites in Smiltene in person.
On the first day of the meeting, held at the Smiltene Secondary School library, partners from Finland (LUT, UH, and the City of Lahti) and Estonia (TalTech, the Association of Harju County Municipalities, and Rae Municipality) presented the work carried out so far and discussed the main conclusions of the project. Particular attention was paid to the stormwater situation in Latvia, analysing statistical data and examples of good practice.
During the event, participants listened to several thematic presentations. Raimonds Stumburs, Head of SIA “ACO”, presented the company’s perspective on stormwater and wastewater treatment equipment. Kristaps Kalniņš, water management systems technician at SIA “Smiltenes NKUP”, gave an insight into water management and wastewater management challenges in Smiltene Municipality.
Santa Vītola, Head of the Vidzeme Open Innovation Centre, shared her experience of the role of innovation in the context of the Vidzeme region, including practical experience and examples.
In order to see the situation in nature, the partners visited Old Park, where the three-pond cascade is the StoPWa pilot site in Smiltene. A stormwater treatment system is being installed there to test the use of construction debris in stormwater filtration. Afterwards, the participants joined an educational city tour.
The second day was devoted to becoming more familiar with the wider region. A visit to the Brutuļi wastewater treatment plant helped participants better understand local technological processes. A visit to AS “Stora Enso Latvija” introduced industrial experience in the context of the circular economy and zero waste. The visit concluded at the Daibe Circular Economy Centre, where participants viewed the landfill, which operates in accordance with EU standards, and took part in educational activities.
This meeting was an important stage in the final phase of the project, allowing partners to strengthen cooperation and plan how the results obtained during the project will be used in the long term after its completion.
The project is being implemented from 1 April 2023 to 30 June 2026. Within the project, solutions are being developed and tested for using recovered construction waste in stormwater filters. This could become a new direction for business development in this field, creating ideas and opportunities and enabling municipalities to introduce new, climate-friendly, reusable solutions for stormwater treatment.
