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LIFE partner search: Looking for waste water treatment partners to implement an ecological system of wastewater tertiary treatment for water reuse in the Mediterranean region.

Country of Origin: Spain
Reference Number: RDES20190424001
Publication Date: 24 April 2019

Summary

A Spanish University is preparing a project proposal under the LIFE programme. The project aims to prove the feasibility of an ecological system of wastewater tertiary treatment for water reuse. The project is addressed to areas with water scarcity. They are looking for wastewater treatment plants and other partners in the Mediterranean region with relevant expertise to join the project and contribute to the implementation of the technology within a research cooperation agreement.

Description

A Spanish University is preparing a project proposal under the LIFE programme. The project aims to prove the feasibility of an innovative and eco-efficient tertiary system to improve the quality of treated wastewater, to facilitate wastewater reuse and to reduce the impact of treated wastewater inputs on the natural receiving environment. The system has already been developed at laboratory and small scales (10 person equivalent, PE) in a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) located in Catalonia (Spain) and will be rescaled to 50-100 PE and replicated in other small populations across the Mediterranean region. 

The project will focus on optimizing the operating conditions to increase the efficiency of removal of emerging and pathogenic pollutants and achieve quality levels required to reuse treated water (aquifers recharge, industrial and urban uses or irrigation water) and, in the case of discharge to the natural environment, to preserve the good chemical and ecological status of the receiving surface waters.
The project will be conducted in countries located in the Mediterranean region, where water is scarce, and thus, the objectives of the project are of special interest.
The proposed approach involves the design and construction of pilot plants where the purification system will be based on the capacity of biological organisms (mainly zooplankton, Daphnia magna and bacterial/algae biofilm) and physicochemical factors (sunlight, sedimentation, etc.) to remove pollutants (nutrients, organic carbon, suspended solids, heavy metals, emerging and priority pollutants and indicator organisms). This technology has several advantages over other tertiary treatments that are currently used, given that it has a low maintenance and low energy requirements, does not need the use of chemicals, does not generate a lot of sludge and, in addition, integrates well into the landscape.

The researchers from the Spanish University will carry out the following tasks:

• To determine the operating conditions to increase the removal efficiency of emerging and pathogenic pollutants, using the developed/described technology, in order to achieve quality levels required to reuse treated water (aquifers recharge, industrial and urban uses or irrigation water).
• To design how to rescale the technology from 10 to 50-100 PE, and to control procedures of the rescaled technology in a WWTP located in Catalonia (Spain).
• To control/coordinate the design and operating conditions of the rescaled technology in WWTPs of other Mediterranean countries (performed by sought partners).

The Spanish University is looking for wastewater treatment plants in the Mediterranean region to contribute to the research project by implementing the rescaled technology in their country. Other partners as water reuse entities, municipalities or engineering companies with expertise in waste water treatment that can contribute to the implementation of the technology in WTTPs will be also considered.

Deadline for the call: 17th June 2019
Deadline for EOIs: 17th May 2019
Anticipated duration of the project: 36 months

Requested partner

The Spanish University is looking for partners with the following profile:

1) WWTP companies and suppliers. Role and tasks to be performed: to install, maintain and manage the rescaled technology in their country, under the coordination of the Spanish University.

2) Water reuse entities and companies (irrigation communities and other potential users). Role and tasks to be performed: to use the water treated with the developed technology.

3) Municipalities for piloting the described technology. Role and tasks to be performed: to provide facilities to the local WWTP in order to implement the developed technology; to contribute to the communication plan with the objective of disseminating the project among the population.

4) SMEs in wastewater engineering and construction. Role and tasks to be performed: to provide materials needed to construct the technology (i.e. tanks, etc.) and to contribute to the design of the rescaled technology and to construct the infrastructures needed to rescale and implement the technology.

The Spanish university needs to include in the consortium at least one WTTP company or supplier. A water reuse entity or company is strongly desired as well. Other type of partners described above will be considered case by case. Partners sought must come from the Mediterranean region since the project is addressed to areas with water scarcity.

Cooperation offer is closed for requests