A new paradigm in water management
Recently, the Consortium of Aigües de Tarragona (CAT) and Eurecat have organized a technical day at the drinking water treatment station (ETAP) of l’Ampolla, focused on the repercussions of climate change on the quality of drinking water. This meeting has gathered about 100 experts from Catalonia dedicated to water management, with the aim of sharing the preliminary results of the European Safecrew project.
SAFECREW: An international collaborative study
The Safecrew project, which includes the collaboration of nine European entities, seeks to understand how the purification processes must be adapted to the new climatic realities. This includes analysis of the impact of climate change on surface and groundwater, and how these changes affect their properties, as well as the methods of treatment and distribution.
Revealing data about the Ebro River
During the day, participants exposed data obtained for two decades on the Ebro river. Researchers have observed an increase of 2 ° C in water temperature and a significant increase in conductivity, which indicates an increase in dissolved salts.
The role of human activities
Irene Jubany, Eurecat researcher, emphasized that in addition to climate change, human activities are altering the characteristics of the water. This emphasizes the need for projects such as Safecrew, which provide critical information for improving water treatment processes, thus guaranteeing their quality for consumption.
Innovations in water processing
Since the start of the project by 2022, multiple sampling campaigns have been carried out to analyze both the river and the purification process. New online analysis systems have been implemented, including sensors to measure Trihalomethanes, which has allowed to obtain a comprehensive view on water quality throughout its treatment.
Optimization of resources
Andreu Fargas, of the CAT, said that they can now observe the evolution of water quality at each stage of the process, which helps to identify the most efficient phases for reducing pollutant elements. This information is essential to minimize the use of chemicals such as chlorine.
Modeling the future of purification
The project also seeks to establish predictive models that can adapt the processes of purification to the changing conditions of water, especially in the face of increased drought and extreme rains. This is essential for ensuring a safe and quality drinking water supply, not only in Catalonia, but throughout Europe.
