• More than 40 professionals from the water sector got first-hand details about the BIODAPH technology: a nature-based and eco-efficient solution for wastewater treatment and reuse.  
• The LIFE BIODAPH2O project (LIFE21-ENV-ES-BIODAPH2O) is a 42-months project co-financed by the European Commission within the LIFE programme, with a budget of €2.1 million, that will run until January 2026. 
• The participants of the project are the University of Girona (coordinators), Sorigué, IDAEA-CSIC, Centre Tecnològic BETA - Universitat de Vic, Catalan Water Partnership, National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) and MINAVRA Techniki.  

Last Thursday, January 18th, the Catalan Water Partnership (CWP) together with the University of Girona – coordinator of the LIFE BIODAPH2O project –, inaugurated the BIODAPH pilot plant at the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) of Quart (Girona, Catalonia). BIODAPH technology relies on the purification capacity of water fleas (Daphnia), microalgae and microbial biofilms, to remove pollutants, including nutrients, organic carbon, suspended solids, pathogens, heavy metals, emerging and priority pollutants, and microplastics. This compact, energy-efficient system, does not produce sludge nor uses chemicals for its operation. 

The opening of the BIODAPH pilot in Quart kicked off with a first technical session, in which Emilia Belén García, head  of the Technology and Operation Unit of the Catalan Water Agency (ACA), opened the session highlighting the importance of implementation projects at a real scale, such as LIFE BIODAPH2O, for improving the quality WWTP effluents. The coordinator of the project, Victoria Salvadó from the University of Girona, presented the details of the LIFE BIODAPH2O project. 

Figure 1. Presentation of the LIFE BIODAH2O project by the project coordinator, Victòria Salvadó. 

In addition to the Quart pilot, the project has a second demonstrator located in another water-stressed mediterranean region, at the Antissa WWTP on the island of Lesvos (Greece). While  in Quart the objective is to reduce the impact of secondary wastewater discharges into the Onyar River and improve its chemical and ecological quality, in Antissa the aim is to obtain reclaimed water for irrigation, in accordance with EU Regulation 2020/741. 

During the opening event the attendees had the opportunity to meet other innovative projects (LIFE ReNaturWAT, UPWATER, MULTISOURCE  and GiroNat) that not only feature nature-based solutions, but provide decision-making tools, improve ecosystems, or boost the quality of life of the society,  thus providing a greater resilience to climate change.  

There was also a panel discussion about the road to implementation of nature-based solutions and projects. The roundtable was formed by two experts in technology transfer, Marc Sabater (University of Girona) and Irina Moreno (Agrotech UPC Research Centre for the agri-food sectorhttps://agrotech.upc.edu/ca), the researcher Gianluigi Buttiglieri (Institut Català de Recerca de l'Aigua (ICRA), and the expert Begoña Martínez (Consorci Besòs Tordera, a company operating 27 sanitation systems around Catalonia). The panel was moderated by Aina Amengual , R&D Project Manager of the Catalan Water Partnership (CWP). 

Figure 2. image of the roundtable 

The session ended with an inspiring visit to the WWTP  of the Municipality of Quart, where the University of Girona and Sorigué, responsible for the construction of the pilot in Girona, explained the operation of the BIODAPH technology. Finally, Xavier Amores Bravo, director of the Catalan Water Partnership, closed the event. 

Figure 3. visit to the BIODAPH pilot plant installed at the WWTP in Quart, Girona, Catalonia.