PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Water scarcity is a growing problem in Mediterranean countries and often leads to aquifer overexploitation and seawater intrusion. The Baix Camp region in Catalonia has suffered water shortages for several decades mainly because of seawater intrusion into the aquifer, now aggravated by climate change. Reclamation and reuse of the effluent from a waste water treatment plant to recharge the aquifer is now becoming necessary to deal with water scarcity. So far, no aquifer recharge system has ever been applied in this region.
OBJECTIVES
The goal of the LIFE REMAR project is to demonstrate the viability of recharging an aquifer with treated wastewater using Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) technology. This will improve the quality of a Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) secondary effluent and will safely recharge a natural coastal aquifer, through the implementation of reactive barriers to supplement soil aquifer treatment for improving water quality. The technology aims at removing contaminants of emerging concern, pathogens and microplastics, and at reducing antibiotic resistance genes from the treated wastewater.
The system will consist of two infiltration basins located in the Cambrils WWTP next to the secondary effluent outlet, allowing water to flow by gravity. A reactive barrier will be installed at the bottom of each basin and will serve as a sorption and biodegradation site for contaminants and pathogens.
The project contributes to the implementation of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), and other policies relating to water quality and water scarcity.
RESULTS
Expected results:
- Definition of the optimum composition of the reactive barriers, based on previous experiences and projects;
- Monitoring of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), pathogens, nitrogen and phosphorous, microplastics and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs);
- The technology provides water of sufficient quality to meet standards for water reuse (EU Regulation 2020/741 for water reuse);
- Reduction of pollutants from the secondary WWTP effluent, especially emerging contaminants and pathogens (2.5 kg/yr), nitrogen (2 240kg/yr), phosphorous (36 kg/yr), suspended solids (559 kg/yr) and ARGs;
- Around 100 000 m3/year of the WWTP effluent infiltrated into the aquifer, resulting in an improved water quality and an increase in freshwater availability, as well as ecosystem improvement;
- An economic analysis performed to estimate the operation and maintenance costs of the entire system; and
- Advance in the definition of a suitable regulatory framework for water obtained from MAR technologies, to help fill the current legal gaps, in particular regarding EU Regulation 2020/741 on minimum requirements for water reuse.
