Projet AQUACYCLE
AQUACYCLE
Towards Sustainable Treatment and Reuse of Wastewater in the Mediterranean Region Cadre
Mediterranean countries face limited and unevenly distributed water resources, exacerbated by population growth, economic development and the effects of climate change. This situation requires innovative solutions for optimal and sustainable water management, particularly through the use of unconventional resources.
In this context, the AQUACYCLE project: Towards Sustainable Treatment and Reuse of Wastewater in the Mediterranean Region, funded by the European Union under the ENICBCMED programme, aims to support R&D for sustainable management of non-conventional water resources (NCWR) through eco-innovative technologies and participatory governance. It also seeks to change the paradigm of treated wastewater reuse in agriculture through the innovative APOC eco-technology.
This technology combines anaerobic digestion, phytopurification and solar photocatalytic oxidation with the aim of improving the quality of treated wastewater, providing an additional resource to reduce water deficits, better preserve natural resources and mitigate water supply issues caused by climate change.
General objective of the project
To provide R&D support to ensure sustainable management of non-conventional water resources (NCWR) through eco-innovative technology and participatory governance within the framework of a circular economy.
Specific objectives
- Improve economic and social governance of water through the active participation of local communities in the development of action plans for wastewater treatment and reuse.
- Installation of demonstration units (APOC)* in Tunisia, Lebanon and Spain to test and validate the efficiency and profitability of a new eco-innovative water treatment system.
- Capacity building and creation of a MedAPOC Alliance.
Partnership
The implementation of the AQUACYCLE project has been delegated to the following consortium:
- Bénéficiaire : Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH), Grèce
- Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas, (CIEMAT); Espagne
- Integrated Ressources Management (IRM) Company Limited (IRMco); Malta,
- Université de Lebanon (UL), Liban.
- Centre de Recherches et des Technologies des l'Eaux (CERTE), Tunisie,
- Centre International des Technologies de l'Environnement de Tunis (CITET); Tunisie,
- Entidad de Saneaniento y Depuracion de la Region de Murcia (ESAMUR); Espagne.
Expected results
- Design of a webGIS prototype with all the necessary features to make the online PGIS platform (participatory GIS) interactive and user-friendly.
- Development of a SWOT analysis of the local governance framework (regulatory and institutional framework) relating to wastewater treatment and reuse (in Tunisia, Lebanon and Spain).
- Development of a technical guide for the APOC system.
- Design, acquisition and installation of three pilot wastewater treatment units at the three pilot sites (Tunisia, Lebanon and Spain), with an assessment of reuse at the three sites.
- Provide users with an unconventional water resource.
- Training and capacity building in the design and operation of the APOC system.
Principal outputs of the project
- 1- Changing the paradigm of wastewater reuse
- Conducting interviews with key stakeholders involved in wastewater treatment and reuse in Tunisia, Spain and Lebanon;
- - Preparation of a SWOT analysis on wastewater treatment and reuse in the three countries responsible for setting up APOC units, namely Tunisia, Spain and Lebanon;
- 2- Installation and operation of APOC wastewater treatment systems
- - Selection of sites for APOC wastewater treatment units using GIS tools;
- - Development of a participative Web GIS and organisation of a local workshop to introduce users to this tool.
- - Design and construction of structures and components for APOC wastewater treatment units in Tunisia, Spain and Lebanon.
- - Operation of APOC systems;
- - Monitoring and optimisation of the performance and efficiency of these systems.
- - Improvement of water governance through the Med APOC Charter.