On June 30, construction work began on the two BIODAPH bioreactors that will be fed by the secondary effluent of the treatment plant in Quart (Girona, Catalonia) that is currently discharged into the Onyar River. The tertiary wastewater treatment system BIODAPH is based on the purification capacity of daphnias (also called "water fleas", specifically of the species Daphnia magna), microalgae and biofilm to remove pollutants from water. This treatment is characterized by being very compact, having a low energy consumption, not producing sludge or using chemicals for its operation and producing regenerated water of good quality. This nature-based technology was developed and evaluated under real conditions on a small scale prior to the INNOQUA project. The construction phase of the Quart pilot will end at the end of July and, afterwards, the commissioning of the reactors will be carried out.  

Illustration 1. Start of construction work on the BIODAPH reactors at the WWTP of Quart. Photo: Jordi Colomer (04/07/2023). 

In particular, the implementation of the BIODAPH system in the WWTP of Quart will reduce the impact of secondary wastewater discharges into the Onyar River while improving the chemical and ecological quality of the aquatic ecosystems of this river characterized by a great variability of flow, alternating dry periods or low long-term flow and short flood episodes. These temporary stream ecosystems can be strongly affected by point WWTP pollution due to reduced dilution capacity during dry and low flow periods. 

Illustration Illustration 2. Onyar river with the old quarter of Girona in the background. Photo: Aina Amengual

In pursuit of knowing the current reference conditions of the Onyar River and being able to evaluate, in the future, the impact of the implementation of BIODAPH technology on the ecological and chemical status of the receiving river, during the last ten months four sampling campaigns have been carried out at different strategic points of the Onyar River: upstream and downstream of the WWTP of Quart. Each of the campaigns has coincided with a season of the year and the last one (summer) was carried out on July 17.  

Illustration 3. Last sampling campaign to know the reference conditions of the Onyar River. Photo: Anna Fernàndez (07/17/2023). 

In addition, BIODAPH technology will also be implemented in the coming months in Greece, a Mediterranean region also heavily affected by water stress. In this case, the BIODAPH system will be implemented in the WWTP Antissa on the island of Lesbos, integrating it into the pilot plant built within the framework of the HYDROUSA project  where different system configurations will be tested with the aim of obtaining regenerated water in accordance with EU Regulation 2020/741 to irrigate 7,000 m2.  

Since the beginning of the LIFE project BIODAPH2O formed by the University of Girona (coordinators), Sorigué, IDAEA-CSIC, MINAVRA Techniki, the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), the BETA Technology Center and the Catalan Water Partnership (CWP), numerous communication and dissemination activities of the project have already been carried out, of which the participation in the final Congress of the Hydrousa project "Water Innovation and Circularity Conference (WICC)" and in the 6th edition of the Congress stand out IWA International on ecotechnologies for wastewater treatment (ecoSTP 2023). In addition, the project was also presented at the last General Assembly of the CWP before more than 100 key agents from the water sector.