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The conference hall at Hotel Guadalete during the inauguration ceremony.
In the photograph, FCC Aqualia’s R+D team with the first Volkswagen UP of the All-gas project un-
veiled at the Congress.
This congress
exemplifies the added
value that FCC Aqualia
offers in the territories
where it operates
On the evening of Monday 3, a reception
was organized by the Jerez City at the
Santo Domingo Cloisters for all the guests.
During her speech, Mamen Sánchez, the
city’s mayor, expressed her satisfaction for
having the city hosted such an important
international event. According to the cal-
culations of the City Council, the economic
impact of the event on the city amounted to
more than half a million euros.
The participants in the inauguration inclu-
ded Fernando Morcillo, chair of AEAS and
the Congress organizing committee; Hel-
mut Kroiss, chair of IWA, and Mark van
Loosdrencht, chair of the scientific commit-
tee, in addition the mayor of Jerez.
Eight themes included in the program
The scientific program focused on four
main themes: sustainable desalination; cir-
cular economy – recovery of water, energy
and nutrients; solar and algal based water
technologies; energy efficient water and
wastewater treatment; contaminants of
emerging concern: antibiotics resistance,
microbiological hazards, nanopollutants;
advanced materials – nanotechnology and
new membranes; smart management of
water and assets; and microbial electro-
chemical technologies.
The organizers of the Congress, IWA, Aso-
ciación Española de Abastecimientos de
Agua y Saneamiento (AEAS), Aqualia and
the University of Santiago de Compostela,
prepared a complete social program with
daily activities, such as the welcome recep-
tion, a tapas-tasting tour, a horse show, and
a gala dinner at the González Byass winery.
They also organised several technical vi-
sits to the Centro de Nuevas Tecnologías
del Agua (New Water Technologies Cen-
tre, CENTA), the La Ranilla wastewater
treatment plant, and the All-gas project faci-
lities at the Chiclana wastewater treatment
plant where the first Volkswagen Up car,
powered with biogas from the plant, was
unveiled.
This congress, of great social and econo-
mic value for Jerez and which places it in
the limelight, is an example of the added va-
lue that FCC Aqualia (in this case, through
Aquajerez, the operator in the city) offers to
the territories where it operates, value that
goes beyond the day-to-day technical ma-
nagement of the public service provided in
the municipalities.