Lessons learned from a partnership between the University of Liège and Water Agencies for the management of surface water quality

An innovative partnership has been established between a university research team (R&D unit of the Aquapôle, University of Liège) and public authorities responsible for the protection of water resources and aquatic environments [French Water Agencies, Walloon and Flemish Administrations (Belgium)]. The main objective of this partnership is the water resources management by Agencies and Administrations by providing them with an innovative and operational decision-making tool enabling them to fulfill their regional (intervention programs, SDAGE …), national and international missions (WFD, European reporting ...). In order to achieve this goal, the partnership is based on the development of a software suite that meets the expectations of operators (the PEGOPERA software). This development strategy, based on the partners’ needs, provides a direct benefit to the quality improvement of aquatic environment.