More pluralised understandings of incumbencies are often overlooked in transitions research, which may lead to underestimating the enabling roles of incumbents in niche projects. This study explores these roles by applying a power framework to five struggles revolving around a path-breaking decentralised wastewater treatment project in the city of Ghent (Belgium). Remarkably, incumbents from multiple regimes use power to enable the niche project. The study identifies and discusses four patterns in the enabling role of incumbents in niche projects. These patterns are clarified by focussing on incumbents from multiple regimes, belonging to local authorities, neighbouring and more distant regimes, as well as on the power of structural trends related to the urgency of sustainability challenges. As such, the study contributes to the understanding of multiple incumbencies and the conditions under which these may reinforce niche projects. For practitioners, the study underscores the role of power dynamics in the water/wastewater sector.

在过渡研究中，对现任者的更多理解常常被忽视，这可能导致低估现任者在利基项目中的促进作用。本研究通过将权力框架应用于围绕根特市（比利时）的一项开创性的分散式废水处理项目的五次斗争来探索这些角色。值得注意的是，来自多个政权的现任官员都利用权力来推动利基项目的发展。该研究确定并讨论了利基项目中任职者在促进角色中的四种模式。通过集中于来自多个政权的，属于地方当局，邻国和更远政权的政府以及与可持续性紧迫性相关的结构趋势的力量，来阐明这些模式。因此，该研究有助于理解多种任职者以及这些任职者可加强利基项目的条件。对于从业者，该研究强调了动力动力学在水/废水处理部门中的作用。