Every day, hospitals use medicines and treatments that save lives — but they also leave behind something less visible: wastewater filled with pharmaceutical residues, pathogens, and other harmful substances. Current city wastewater plants cannot fully remove these contaminants, which means they can end up in rivers, soils, and even drinking water.
This is not only an environmental problem, but also a public health threat. Hospital wastewater is a hotspot for antibiotic-resistant bacteria and genes, one of the greatest health challenges of our time.
What is THERESA PCP?
THERESA PCP (Pre-Commercial Procurement of innovative and sustainable solutions to Treat HEalthcaRE System wAstewater) is a European initiative that will run from September 2025 to August 2029.
Its main goal is to develop innovative, eco-friendly, and cost-effective technologies to clean hospital wastewater directly at the source, before it reaches the public water network. These new systems aim to remove:
- Hazardous drugs (such as chemotherapy residues)
- X-ray contrast agents
- Antibiotics
- Antibiotic-resistant bacteria and genes
By doing so, THERESA PCP will help protect ecosystems, safeguard public health, and slow down the spread of antimicrobial resistance.
Who is behind the project?
The project is coordinated by the Fundación Pública Miguel Servet (Spain) and brings together a strong network of hospitals, research centres, and innovation experts from across Europe:
- Spain: Fundación Pública Miguel Servet (FMS), Fundación Andaluza Progreso y Salud (FPS), Servicio Andaluz de la Salud (SAS), Consorci Hospitalari de Vic (CHV), Science & Innovation Link Office (SILO), TICBioMed (TBM), Science Union for Innovation (SUNINN)
- Estonia: North Estonia Medical Centre (PERH)
- Poland: Wojewódzki Szpital Specjalistyczny w Olsztynie (WSS), Institute for Ecology of Industrial Areas (IETU)
- Netherlands: Maastricht University Medical Center+ (AZM), Maastricht University (UM), Corvers Procurement Services (CPS)
- Belgium: Ziekenhuis aan de Stroom (ZAS), Health Care Without Harm Europe (HCWH Europe)
- Greece: Corvers Greece Monoprosopi IKE (CGR)
Together, these partners combine medical expertise, scientific research, and sustainable innovation to create solutions that will make Europe’s healthcare greener and safer.