We are FCC - Nº15

The name of the project evokes the mythical “Phoenix Bird”, which rose from its ashes in the same way that in the future the effluents will have a new life and will no longer be considered a mere waste, but a raw material source of new resources with high added value This European innovation project seeks to convert wastewater into a high-value element for reuse in agricultural irrigation in a safe and efficient manner, in accordance with the new, more restrictive directive. Aqualia will lead the LIFE Phoenix innovation project over the next four years, which will address the issue of wastewater reuse at a European level, as well as the growing threat posed by emerging and microplastic pollutants in our waters. The project, which is part of the European LIFE program, has a budget of more than three million euros. The international consortium, led by Aqualia, is made up of eight entities and includes international partners such as Águas de Portugal and the Dutch company MicroLAN; other national partners such as CETIM or Newland EnTech; and Spanish pu- blic entities such as the University of Almería, the Provincial Council of Almería and the Guadalquivir River Basin Authority (CHG). Faced with a scenario of increasingly widespread water stress, increased in Mediterranean countries due to climate change, water reuse is not an option but a necessity to meet the future challenges of the European Union related to food production and water policy. The use of this resource in the agricultural sector, the largest consumer of drinking water in the EU, would help alleviate the scarce water resources in many areas of the continent. LIFE Phoenix also faces the growing challenge of emerging contaminants and micro-plastics, which cause pro- blems in today’s purification systems, as they are difficult to remove, and often end up in the seas and rivers, posing a serious environmental risk. The idea behind the LIFE Phoenix project arose in 2018, in view of the need to address the imminent tigh- tening by the European Union of the legal requirements for the reuse of wastewater for agricultural purposes with respect to the current national regulations in force (RD 1620/2007). Accordingly, Aqualia and its partners seek to convert wastewater into a high-value element for reuse in agri- cultural irrigation in a safe and effi - cient manner, in accordance with the new, more restrictive requirements I N N O V A T I O N 49 I N N O V A T I O N