Arriva cuts freshwater use for bus washing by 70% in EU-funded depot project

Arriva announced it has reduced freshwater consumption for bus washing by more than 70 per cent across selected European depots, saving 62 million litres of water over a three-year period.

The results were achieved through the LIFEH2OBus project, a sustainability initiative co-funded by the European Union’s LIFE Programme and coordinated by Arriva, according to information released by the operator. The project was carried out at bus depots in Italy, Hungary and Croatia and focused on reducing water use associated with vehicle washing and maintenance.

How to reduce water consumption in bus washing

As reported by Arriva, the project tested a combination of rainwater harvesting systems, water recycling and reuse technologies, optimisation of bus washing cycles and procedures, and the introduction of digital monitoring tools to track water consumption (provided by Pluservice). Over the three-year trial period, these measures reduced freshwater use by more than 20 million litres per year, corresponding to a total saving of 62 million litres, equivalent to 24 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

The initiative also included the development of digital tools aimed at improving depot-level operational efficiency. According to Arriva, these tools enabled closer monitoring of water consumption patterns and supported adjustments to daily washing and maintenance processes. The company stated that the findings will be used to develop best-practice recommendations that can be shared across the wider European bus industry.

Early estimates cited by Arriva indicate that wider adoption of the solutions tested under LIFEH2OBus could result in water savings of close to 100 million litres beyond the initial project period. The operator confirmed that it is assessing how the measures trialled in Italy, Hungary and Croatia could be replicated across other depots within its European network.

Angelo Costa, Managing Director Arriva Italy, said: “From cutting water use in our bus depots to investing in zero-emission vehicles and modernising our infrastructure, Arriva is committed to making our operations more sustainable in practical, measurable ways. Projects like LIFEH2OBus show what’s possible when innovation is backed by strong partnerships. By working closely with the EU and industry partners, we can test new ideas, scale what works across our European network and help accelerate greener public transport for the communities we serve. We’re pleased with the strong results from this trial and are now exploring how these solutions can be rolled out more widely across Arriva’s portfolio.”