The Eurecat technology centre is targeting technological innovation to cut water use while also stepping up the availability of water resources by harnessing solutions for optimising water use efficiency and driving reuse and desalination to lessen reliance on conventional water sources, especially during periods of prolonged drought such as the current one.
Since 2015, Eurecat has rolled out over 40 initiatives for optimising water management and use which help mitigate the effects of drought. In the case of Eurecat projects in water reclamation and reuse technologies, half of them are implemented directly with businesses to enhance the industrial cycle by drawing on solutions which help minimise water consumption while driving efficient use in production processes.
“In many cases we have the technology needed to leverage the water resources used in production processes along the entire value chain to tackle water scarcity and make companies more competitive,” says Miquel Rovira, director of Eurecat’s Sustainability Area.
“The technology centre helps businesses and the water industry as a whole to enhance water management and adapt to the impact of climate change by putting in place circular economy schemes to make best use of resources,” adds Sandra Casas, head of the Water Technologies Line in Eurecat’s Water, Air and Soil Unit.
Eurecat develops “new drinking water and wastewater treatment processes to streamline resource usage while safeguarding water quality by tapping state-of-the-art treatment technology to remove recalcitrant pollutants from wastewater and make drinking water treatment processes more efficient,” points out Xavier Martínez, director of Eurecat’s Water, Air and Soil Unit.
Furthermore, to drive efficiency in the urban water cycle “it puts in place solutions to enhance reuse and desalination processes and builds software to raise the performance of drinking water distribution networks.”
“The knowledge we have available enables us to safely reclaim water for various uses,” notes Irene Jubany, Research Coordinator in Eurecat’s Sustainability Area. Even so, “there are still legal barriers we need to address to generate further cases of reclaimed water use.”
