The Consorci d’Aigües Costa Brava Girona has launched the ‘AIGUANEIX’ project to purify water from the Roses (Alt Empordà) water treatment plant. This project is under the scientific direction of the Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA) and Dr. Wolfgang Gernjak, a renowned expert in water treatment. The company Agbar is finalizing the construction of a pilot plant that will analyze the feasibility of new environmental uses for the water regenerated in the wastewater treatment plant.

The project, which has a subsidy from the Catalan Water Agency (ACA), also includes the participation of Protecmed, Energi, Transparenta and Anthesis Catalunya. The objective is to provide the northern Costa Brava with a water regeneration system that will provide resilience to the territory in the face of future drought episodes.

Currently, the Roses plant applies filtration and ultraviolet disinfection treatments to the purified water, destined in small volumes for agricultural irrigation, industrial and recreational uses, road cleaning and maintenance of the sewer network. The new pilot plant, operational from next January, aims to improve the quality of the reclaimed water to expand its uses. Advanced treatments will be tested there that will purify 6 cubic meters per hour of reclaimed water, using processes such as disinfection with monochloramines, ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis, oxidation, ultraviolet disinfection, activated carbon filtration and remineralization.

If the project is proven viable, new environmental uses for reclaimed water could be implemented, such as recharging aquifers intended for supply, thus creating a natural reservoir of pre-potable water to be used in case of shortages. This action would also help prevent seawater intrusion into aquifers, improving groundwater quality and strengthening the water supply in the municipality.

The ‘AIGUANEIX’ project is positioned as an innovative research strategy for climate change adaptation, testing the reuse of reclaimed water for environmental uses and designing future water purification plants as an alternative water resource to guarantee supply in the face of drought episodes and increased water demand. The aim is for the pilot project to evolve into a full-scale installation in 2027.