We are FCC - Nº15

imposed by Europe. In this sense, the name of the project evokes the mythical “phoenix”, 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 conside- red a mere waste, but a raw material source of new resources with high added value (biofuels, biofertilizers, regenerated water, etc...) Pedro Rodríguez, Aqualia’s Director of Studies and Operations, highli- ghts that this project is aligned with the company’s own commitment to achieving the Sustainable Develop- ment Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation) and SDG 12 (responsible production and consumption). “The regeneration and reuse of wastewater is vital to ensure water balance; giving wastewater a se- cond life should not be an option but an obligation, always guaranteeing quality and safety”. Rodríguez re- calls that more than 165,000 million m3/year of water is collected and treated in the world, of which only 2% is reused, despite the fact that the need for water in 2030 is estima- ted to increase by 40%. The Guadalquivir River Basin Autho- rity (CHG) has shown itself in recent years to be an example of manage- ment based on knowledge and inno- vation to address the climate crisis that threatens us. In this sense, the regenerated water represents for the president of the CHG, Joaquín Páez, “an essential path for the Andalusian agriculture, in a basin with hydric stress and a very high index of water exploita- tion for irrigation”. For this reason, “projects such as LIFE Phoenix are a highly effective tool for water ma - nagers who, more and more often, have to make decisions based on the uncertainty that climate change is bringing us. A situation in which we cannot act with ambiguity but with the certainties provided by knowled- ge to safeguard our ecosystems, the only guarantee in the future for our society,” cited Paez. The new European regulation on water reuse will be applicable within three years in all member countries. In this context, the LIFE Phoenix pro- ject is pioneering and will position Aqualia and its partners at the fore- front of wastewater regeneration and the removal of emerging and micro- plastic pollutants. El Bobar Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) in Almeria (Spain). I N N O V A T I O N 50 I N N O V A T I O N