Within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), number 6 on “Water and Sanitation” sets a target of 2030 to achieve universal access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene services; improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing the release of chemicals and hazardous materials; and halve the percentage of untreated wastewater.
Sustainability is positioned as the Key Factor of the Water Treatment Sector, both in urban wastewater and industrial wastewater, seeking the optimization of resources and reconverting surpluses into new resources that achieve self-sufficiency in all water treatment processes.
The industry has internalized the objectives of sustainable development and these are part of the daily management of companies, with 5 trends in the water treatment sector.
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INCORPORATE TECHNOLOGIES THAT REQUIRE LESS WATER CONSUMPTION
A good example would be the circular process of water treatment for milk evaporation with technology that consists of a membrane biological reactor to treat the effluent, thus obtaining water free of solids. It then passes through a reverse osmosis stage that retains salts and dissolved solids, resulting in treated water of potable quality. The project has ensured that the treated water can be reused in processes that are not directly in contact with milk production.
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INCORPORATING PURIFICATION PROCESSES ORIENTED TO REUSE
The incorporation of new membrane technology configurations in the purification processes that allow the reuse of water, since, as a physical barrier, they prevent the passage of bacteria and viruses, to obtain a quality well below the discharge limits.
Spain is the European leader in water reuse, as it is the country that produces the largest volume of reused water, and ranks fifth worldwide in terms of installed reuse capacity, reusing 450 cubic hectometers per year (between 7 and 13% of the total).
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IMPROVING THE ENERGY BALANCE OF WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS (WWTPS) AND BIOGAS PLANTS
New control processes that reduce energy costs without reducing purification/purification yields through SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems. Also, slurry treatment systems using MBR, broad-spectrum antibacterial water filtration, bioindication analysis in MBR technology treatment systems, high performance automated flotation systems.
A specific section should be dedicated to anaerobic technologies with the incorporation of high load reactors suitable for highly biodegradable discharges and energy recovery by obtaining biogas.
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IMPLEMENTATION OF INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS ADOPTING DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
Implement artificial intelligence models that help predict chemical levels in water supply and purification plants from real-time variables.
Biodegradable defoamers of very high efficiency and manufactured in aqueous solution for a better elimination by the natural environment.
Natural coagulants that reduce consumption, protect the environment and treatment facilities.
Bioenhancers consisting of natural microorganisms allied to biological treatments to improve effluents and optimize treatment costs.
