Making the most of scarce water resources Water scarcity is a pressing issue across large parts of Europe, underlining the importance of managing existing resources effectively and efficiently. The team behind the I-ReWater project aim to help increase the use of reclaimed water in the agricultural sector, in the process reducing the need to use freshwater resources, as Professor Javier José Cancela Barrio explains. A significant proportion of the water which comes out of wastewater treatment plants is discharged into our rivers and oceans, but with scarcity concerns growing ever more pressing, researchers are looking at how these resources can be used more efficiently. One possibility is using reclaimed water to irrigate crops, so reducing the need to use increasingly scarce conventional water resources, a topic that Professor Javier José Cancela Barrio is exploring as part of his role in the EU-backed I-ReWater project. “We aim to develop a fundamental strategy to show the agricultural sector in the SUDOE (South West Europe) area how they can increase the use of reclaimed water in their surroundings, in their irrigation communities, or in their fields,” he explains. There are three main elements to this work. “One part of the strategy is about modelling the water resources available in the SUDOE area. We crossreference this with information about the distance between wastewater treatment plants and locations where crops need irrigation,” outlines Professor Cancela.
The project team, which brings together 16 partners from across Spain, France, Andorra and Portugal, take into account here any altitude differences between fields and the wastewater treatment plant. In some circumstances it may be necessary to establish pumps to get the water to where it is needed, which will affect the costs of distribution and the economic viability of using reclaimed water; these kinds of socio-economic considerations are an important part of Professor Cancela’s agenda in the project. “We’re looking at the distances between the two points, the energy involved, and the scale of the initial investments required. We’re also working to gauge opinion on using reclaimed water, and to counter any misconceptions about it,” he says. The third key step towards developing the wider strategy is conducting lifecycle assessments, looking to assess the impact of using reclaimed water in comparison to conventional water. “We’re using a lifecycle assessment methodology to identify the differences with conventional water in several categories,” continues Professor Cancela. “The long-term aim is to promote the use of reclaimed water.”
Action pilots As part of this agenda action pilots have been established at 15 different locations across the SUDOE area, including hop growers and wineries, aiming to demonstrate the benefits of using reclaimed water in irrigation. These action pilots are focused on two types of crops. “The first are orchard – or woody – crops, such as vineyards, hops, almonds or olives, while the second are horticultural crops, primarily tomatoes and watermelons. We need high-quality water for horticultural crops, as reclaimed water is often in close contact with the final product that a consumer will eat, but we don’t always have to reach the same standards for the woody crops,” outlines Professor Cancela. The 15 pilots are in different parts of France, Spain and Portugal, some in coastal areas and others further inland, producing different crops. “For example, two of our pilots in the French region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine are related to hops, which are a highly demanding crop, requiring a lot of water,” continues Professor Cancela. “Our other pilots in France are vineyards, with previous experience of participating in this kind of
The 15 pilot sites of I-ReWater are equipped with a digitalised fertigation network to provide data for the Decision Support System. In this case, Hop action pilot (Galicia, Spain).
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