Romania’s ECO H2O project wins European water resilience prize

The Mihai Eminescu Trust Foundation’s ECO H2O project in Viscri has won the special Water Resilience prize at the 2026 New European Bauhaus Prizes. The award was presented in Brussels last week, on October 15.

The European Commission described ECO H2O as the first nature-based wastewater system in rural Romania. The project had previously been selected as one of four finalists in the “Enhancing Circularity, Sustainability and Innovation” category of the NEB Champions section.

Designed and built by the Mihai Eminescu Trust, the treatment plant uses three reed-planted ponds in which aerobic and anaerobic bacteria naturally purify wastewater. Water moves between the ponds by gravity, eliminating the need for pumps, electricity, or chemicals and keeping operating and maintenance costs low, the foundation explained.

“What we have learned in more than 35 years of activity in Viscri is that a small village needs solutions suited to the place, well-built infrastructure and people who take care of it,” said Caroline Fernolend, president of the Mihai Eminescu Trust.

“ECO H2O shows us that a wastewater treatment plant can be simple, efficient, and affordable and can be naturally integrated into the landscape, using nature as part of the solution.”

Built in 2010 and operational since 2011, the system serves about 500 residents and the roughly 60,000 visitors who travel to Viscri annually.

Before its construction, household wastewater was discharged into roadside ditches, the village stream, or improvised septic tanks, creating risks for public health, groundwater, and the foundations of Viscri’s historic buildings.

“For the people of Viscri, this system has operated for 15 years without pumps or electricity, while the sewage system does not generate costs for the community apart from possible repairs,” Fernolend said. “What is new is that, after 15 years, this experience from Viscri is now also recognized at the European level.”

The project was financed outside the local budget, including with support from King Charles III’s property in Viscri. The Viscri Orthodox Parish provided land through an exchange, while Bunești town hall subsequently took over management of the system. Residents and volunteers helped plant the reeds and continue to maintain the vegetation.

According to the foundation, similar lagoon-based systems could serve rural communities of up to around 2,000 residents. The organization said it is prepared to share its expertise with municipalities and communities interested in developing wastewater treatment systems adapted to local conditions.