LIFE Project: Innovative Hybrid INTensive EXTensive Wastewater Resource Recovery in Small Communities
- Type Project
- Status Filled
- Execution 2019 -2024
- Assigned Budget 2.926.547,00 €
- Scope Europeo
- Autonomous community Madrid, Comunidad de
- Main source of financing LIFE
- Project website Web del proyecto
LIFE INTEXT aims to develop innovative solutions based on a combination of intensive and extensive technologies (INT-EXT) to address wastewater treatment and reuse in order to address water scarcity in small communities (less than 2,000 population equivalents), both in Mediterranean and continental climates.
Water pollution is not only one of the leading global risk factors for disease and mortality, but also contributes to the reduction in the availability of drinking water. Providing economically and environmentally sustainable wastewater treatment (WWTP) for small communities remains a major challenge throughout Europe, especially in countries with a large number of small and dispersed settlements. Therefore, water demand and WWTPs must be addressed efficiently to avoid water shortages and high operation and maintenance costs. In this regard, several policy initiatives have emerged in recent years, according to which water reuse and sustainable WWTPs should be considered at the core of an integrated water management approach to save costs, recover water, and demonstrate stewardship.
- Provide an intelligent monitoring and evaluation system for the consistent operation of technologies and criteria to support operators' real-time decision-making.
- Validate improved INT-EXT technologies at innovation facilities in two different climatic conditions (Seville and Toledo, in southern and central Spain). | Low-carbon wastewater treatment.
- Production of valuable products in a resource-oriented circular economy.
- Removal of emerging contaminants using aerated wetlands, HRAP, and solar-powered chemical-free anodic oxidation.
- Provision of criteria to support the decision-making process for identifying the most appropriate INT-EXT technology (80-90% GHG emission reduction).
- Promote market acceptance and implementation of innovative technologies.
An intelligent monitoring and evaluation system for the consistent operation of these technologies. | Criteria to help operators make real-time decisions.
Postal address: Federico Salmon 13, 28050, Madrid
Two demonstration sites for LIFE INTEXT solutions were established to assess the conditions for scaling up these technologies in small communities across Europe. The Mediterranean site at CENTA-AMAYA in Seville processed around 250 m³/day of raw wastewater from approximately 2,500 inhabitants, while the continental site in Talavera de la Reina (Toledo) treated wastewater from Talavera de la Reina and the nearby village of Talavera la Nueva, which had a population of 1,400. The project has delivered significant environmental and economic benefits.
In terms of GHG emissions, a reduction of 44 tons of CO2 equivalent per year has been achieved in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), which translates to approximately 0.05 kg of CO2e per cubic meter of treated wastewater. A total of 172 m³ of wastewater has been treated per day, representing a total of 138,105 m³ over the duration of the project. Furthermore, the project has resulted in energy savings of 117 MWh per year. From an economic perspective, assuming an energy cost of €0.1924 per kWh in Spain, the project has generated annual energy savings of €2,413.30, representing a total savings of €5,534.10 over its duration.
- FCC Aqualia S.A.
- AU(AARHUS UNIVERSITET)
- SAVEA(SAVEA SAS)
- AUTARCON(AUTARCON GMBH)
- AIMEN(ASOCIACIóN DE INVESTIGACIóN METALúRGICA DEL NOROESTE)
- SYNTEA ES(SYNTEA TRATAMIENTOS DE DEPURACION)
- AMAYA(AGENCIA DE MEDIO AMBIENTE Y AGUA DE ANDALUCíA, M.P)
- PROJAR(COMERCIAL PROJAR S.A.)
- FINT(FUTURE INTELLIGENCE EREVNA TILEPIKINONIAKON KE PLIROFORIAKON SYSTIMATON EPE GREECE)
- BUREAU D´INGENIERIE DE RECHERCHE ET DE DEVELOPPEMENT EN ECOLOGIE SAS
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