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Sustainable water management in high water demanding industries

Reference: LIFE18 ENV/SI/000673 | Acronym: LIFE HIDAQUA

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

BACKGROUND

The frequency and extent of droughts has increased in recent years; about 10% of the EU population and over 15% of its territory has been affected by water scarcity. In a 2018 proposal for a regulation on minimum requirements for water reuse, the EU set out a potential increase in water recycling from 1 billion m3 to over 6 billion m3.

One recycling source is industrial wastewater, such as that from the automotive industry. But this is often polluted by difficult to degrade organic contaminants, including phenols and mineral oils. Conventional municipal wastewater treatment facilities do not effectively remove these, and even release them into natural water bodies, damaging the environment. In addition, suspended and solid waste from conventional wastewater treatment techniques also negatively impact the environment. One example is the discharge of concentrated brines from reverse osmosis.


OBJECTIVES

The main objective of LIFE HIDAQUA is to demonstrate a sustainable water management approach in high water-demanding industries such as the automotive industry by applying the zero-liquid-discharge and the zero-waste concepts. The ultimate aim is to decrease emission of pollutants and preserve the quality of natural water bodies and natural drinking water resources while exploiting alternative water sources.

Its specific objectives are:

  • introduce and optimise a new integrated concept for alternative water supply at the HIDRIA factory, primarily using recycled/recovered wastewater, supported by rainwater harvesting and exploitation of brackish water;
  • optimise and demonstrate the feasibility of a water treatment system based on electro-dialysis and reverse osmosis using recycled membranes, and use this to prepare demineralised water for industrial purposes from all three alternative sources (recycled water, harvested rainwater, and brackish water); and
  • optimise and demonstrate the zero-liquid-discharge and zero-waste approaches and technical solutions, combined with the proposed water treatment system, so that all residues will be recycled in secondary raw materials mainly destined for the construction sector; and
  • establish a water innovation hub on good practices for sustainable water supply and decentralised systems.
  • The project will directly contribute to implementing, updating and developing several EU policies and legislation, including the 7th Environmental Action Programme, the Water Framework Directive, the Marine Strategy Framework directive, the Waste Framework Directive, the Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe and the Circular Economy Package.


    RESULTS

    Expected results:

  • treatment of 4 000 m3 of industrial wastewater per year, containing an average chemical oxygen demand of 20 000 mg O2/L;
  • production of around 8 000m3 of drinking water per year from rainwater and brackish water, at 24 m3/day capacity, representing about 50% of the HIDRIA factorys annual water demands;
  • production of salt and building composites for the construction sector (0.5 tonnes of salt and 1 tonne of ready-to-use construction products) made from water treatmentresidues using the zero-liquid-discharge and zero-waste approaches;
  • a decision-making tool for water management operators at industrial sites, municipal operators and technology providers on optimal and sustainable approaches to exploit alternative water resources (at least five different potential users across the EU); and
  • a feasibility plan to further optimise sustainable water management at HIDRIA and wider transfer across the EU (with at least three letters of intent to replicate).

  • ADMINISTRATIVE DATA


    Reference: LIFE18 ENV/SI/000673
    Acronym: LIFE HIDAQUA
    Start Date: 01/09/2019
    End Date: 30/09/2025
    Total Eligible Budget: 2,422,010 €
    EU Contribution: 1,332,102 €

    CONTACT DETAILS


    Coordinating Beneficiary: Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute
    Legal Status: PAT
    Address: Dimieva ulica 12, 1000, Ljubljana,
    Contact Person: Primož Oprčkal
    Email: Send Email
    Website: Visit Website


    LIFE Project Map

    ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES ADDRESSED

    THEMES

    • Metal industry
    • Waste water treatment
    • Water saving

    KEYWORDS

    • water saving
    • waste water treatment
    • recycling
    • industrial pollution
    • water resources management
    • water treatment
    • water shortage

    TARGET EU LEGISLATION

    • Directive 75/442/EEC -"Waste framework directive" (15.07.1975)
    • COM(2015)614 - "Closing the loop - An EU action plan for the Circular Economy" (02.12.2015)
    • Directive 2000/60 - Framework for Community action in the field of water policy (23.10.2000)
    • COM(2011)112 - "A Roadmap for moving to a competitive low carbon economy in 2050" (08.03.2011)
    • Directive 2008/56 - Framework for community action in the field of marine environmental policy (Marine Strategy Framework Directive) (17.06.2008)

    PARTNERSHIPS

    Name Type
    JSI(Jožef Stefan Institute), Slovenia Participant
    GEOLOGIJA(Geologija d.o.o. Idrija, geološke raziskave in projektiranje), Slovenia Participant
    EURECAT(Fundació Eurecat), Spain Participant
    TYPSA(Técnica y Proyectos S.A), Spain Participant
    HIDRIA(Hidria, razvoj in proizvodnja avtomobilskih in industrijskih sistemov, d.o.o.), Slovenia Participant

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