With its completion scheduled for August 2026, LIFE BIODAPH2O is already in the last phase of implementation, focused on evaluating the final results of the impact of the BIODAPH technology on the two project demonstrators: the Quart WWTP (Girona) and the Antissa WWTP (Lesvos Island, Greece).

The BIODAPH pilot plant in Girona has shown very effective in reducing antibiotic resistance genes (AMR) and restructuring the microbial community from secondary wastewater. To analyse possible ecological changes of the different water types in receiving streams, a controlled laboratory experiment was conducted using experimental flumes treated with BIODAPH reclaimed water, secondary wastewater and control water. This experiment lasted 43 days.

This spring, the LIFE BIODAPH2O project launched a full-scale agricultural field trial in Antissa (Lesvos, Greece) to demonstrate that reclaimed water treated with the BIODAPH technology can be safely used for food crop irrigation— while ensuring crop productivity, the protection of human health and soil condition. The activity, led by the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), is a core milestone in assessing the real-world impacts of this nature-based, chemical-free water treatment technology.

As part of the LIFE BIODAPH2O project, field monitoring is currently being carried out to assess how the implementation of BIODAPH technology affects the chemical and ecological status of a real receiving stream (Onyar River) downstream of the Quart Wastewater Treatment Plant (Girona, Spain). This long-term monitoring aims to determine whether this nature-based solution can reduce pollutants and preserve biodiversity in a real Mediterranean water body. To complement this, a controlled laboratory experiment has been set up to explore the mechanisms behind these improvements in greater detail, under reproducible conditions. 

Date: April 24th
Time: 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM (CET) - online
Join us for a collaborative webinar hosted by the BIODAPH2O project, in partnership with UPWATER, to explore Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) for improving water quality. This session will take you through the journey of NBS from the lab to pilot scale, and from pilot scale to broader implementation.

After the initial start-up of the BIODAPH tertiary system at both the Quart and Antissa WWTP demonstration sites, the testing and optimization of the systems have begun. Here you can find the key results obtained during the first trial of the BIODAPH systems' testing and optimization at the two demonstration sites.

Lesvos Island, Greece – June 10, 2024 – On May 31, 2024, the LIFE BIODAPH2O consortium proudly hosted a Cluster event and the inauguration of the BIODAPH system at the Antissa Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) in Lesvos, Greece. This event followed the consortium meeting held on May 30 at the University of the Aegean.

• The LIFE BIODAPH2O project assessess a tertiary treatment technology in the effluents from the Quart WWTP, based on the filtration capacity of daphnias, to improve the chemical and ecological quality of the Onyar River.
• Preliminary results from the Onyar River monitoring campaign, prior to the implementation of BIODAPH technology, reveal that despite treatment efforts, water bodies experience a decline in quality after the Quart wastewater treatment plant.

The LIFE BIODAPH2O project inaugurates the BIODAPH tertiary treatment system installed in the WWTP at the municipality of Quart (Girona, Catalonia) that will treat up to 40% of its effluent.  

The LIFE BIODAPH2O project (LIFE21-ENV-CA-BIODAPH2O) is funded under the European Commission's LIFE programme dedicated to environmental protection and climate action.  It will last 42 months, ending in January 2026 and has a budget of € 2.1 million.  Two pilot tests with different configurations of the tertiary treatment system BIODAPH will be carried out in the WWTP of Quart (Girona, Catalonia) and in the WWTP of Antissa (Lesbos, Greece). 

On October 10th and 11th, Catalan and Greek participants of the European project LIFE BIODAPH2O gathered at the Science and Technology Park of the University of Girona, Spain, to carry out the kick-off meeting.