More than 120 people attend the SHOWW technical workshop on wastewater treatment and management

LEQUIA has conducted a study to i) identify the main needs of wastewater treatment and management in Catalonia and Spain and ii) select several successful LIFE projects with potential solutions. Some of these projects were presented at University of Girona Science Park on February 7^th.More than 120 people attended the workshop; most of them from academic and industrial organizations, but also from sectorial associations and public institutions.

The event was organised by LEQUIA research group and Italian organisations DICE, UTILATIS and PHYSIS, and is part of the dissemination plan of the European project SHOWW (puShing aHead with field implementatiOn of the best fitting WasteWater treatment and management solutions), also funded through LIFE program. LIFE is the EU’s financial instrument supporting environmental and nature conservation projects throughout the EU. Since 1992, LIFE has co-financed some 3954 projects (300 within the water field), contributing approximately €3.1 billion to the protection of the environment.

Speakers were international experts: Drs R. Gori and F. Santori (University of Florenze), M. Picavet (Colsen), H. V. Veldhuizen (Water schap Vallei en Veluwe), Dr P. Grau (CEIT), Dr. E. Vilanova (Amphos 21), Dr J. Mata (University of Barcelona), and J. Porro and Drs J. Comas, J. Colprim, M. Poch and A. Anfruns from LEQUIA. Reuse of industrial wastewaters, sludge production minimization, phosphorous recovery or removal of emerging pollutants, were some of the topics tackled. The workshop was closed with an interesting roundtable on the existing relationship between all stakeholders involved with wastewater treatment and management. The need to increase investment in R&D and innovation by means of collaborative projects and initiatives was also discussed.