Protection of drinking water reserves

Introduction

Denmark takes pride in providing some of the world’s cleanest drinking water from natural drinking water reserves

Case metrics

Key statistics

100%

Denmark sources almost all drinking water from the groundwater.

<50%

of Denmark's drinking water boreholes contain residues of pesticides or other pollutants, with one in ten exceeding acceptable contamination levels.

45,000

kilometers drinking water distribution network

The challenge

Safeguarding Denmark’s clean drinking water

Denmark is known for its exceptionally clean drinking water, which is sourced almost entirely from groundwater reserves. To maintain this high standard, the Danish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) enforces strict regulations on groundwater protection, water treatment, and contamination prevention. However, recent findings have detected increased levels of unwanted chemicals in drinking water, prompting immediate political action to strengthen safeguards. In response, a national drinking water fund was established to finance protective measures, including land-use changes and well decommissioning to prevent contamination risks.

To ensure efficient allocation and oversight of these funds, the Danish EPA required a structured, transparent grant management system capable of handling applications, prioritizing projects, and ensuring proper fund distribution. Managing applications manually would have posed risks of inefficiencies, inconsistencies, and delays in fund allocation, making a digital solution essential for streamlining processes and meeting political expectations for rapid implementation.

The solution

A streamlined grant management system for water protection

To facilitate the rapid deployment of the new drinking water fund, the Danish EPA implemented a digital grant management solution based on cBrain’s F2 platform. This system was designed using the agency’s existing best-practice framework for grant management, allowing for a fast and efficient rollout. The solution enabled applicants to submit requests for funding through a self-service portal, providing GIS-based documentation to support their applications. The primary grant program focused on supporting landowners who converted vulnerable drinking water areas into forested land, while a secondary subsidy targeted the closure of outdated wells that posed contamination risks.

The system centralized case processing, allowing the agency to track all applications, prioritize them based on environmental criteria, and ensure that funds were distributed to the most impactful projects. A master case was established to aggregate all applications, providing real-time visibility into requested, awarded, and disbursed funds. Automated workflows streamlined the approval process, reducing administrative burdens and enabling faster decision-making.

This provided the Danish EPA with an accurate, real-time overview of fund utilization.

The result

Fast implementation and improved fund management

The digital transformation of Denmark’s drinking water protection grants allowed the Danish EPA to implement a fully operational system within a few months of the legislation being passed. This ensured that allocated funds were deployed effectively within the fiscal year, aligning with political commitments and environmental goals. By using the existing F2 grant management framework, the EPA was able to rapidly configure a tailored solution, reducing lead times and ensuring efficient execution.

The structured workflow improved transparency and accountability in fund allocation while enabling the EPA to prioritize projects based on environmental impact. The ability to track funds at every stage of the process ensured that financial management remained precise and aligned with national water protection goals. By transitioning to a standardized, scalable grant management system, the Danish EPA established a best-practice model for future environmental funding initiatives, demonstrating how digital tools can enhance policy implementation and public sector efficiency.

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