LIFE & water

LIFE, the EU funding tool for the Environment

AQUIFER RECHARGE
Photo: LIFE06 ENV/L/000121 - Dupont Energain/Hawkes

Since 1992, LIFE has contributed to the implementation, updating and development of EU environmental policy and legislation by co-financing pilot or demonstration projects with European added value. Regarding water, LIFE boosts the implementation of EU water policy by supporting the correct management, protection and restoration of Europes water resources and ecosystems.

WASTEWATER TREATMENT
Photo: LIFE05 ENV/IT/000868

DECONTAMINATING GROUNDWATER
Photo: LIFE05 ENV/H/000418

RAISING PUBLIC AWARENESS

Photo: LIFE08 INF/IT/000308

The ENSAT project developed an effective, cheap and easily replicable solution to protect and improve the quality of groundwater. It did this by demonstrating the effectiveness of using reactive barriers in Soil Aquifer Treatment techniques in order to enhance the degradation of water pollutants during aquifer recharge. For this, the project created a two-pond system a decantation pond and an infiltration pond that receives and treats the water from both the lower area of the Llobregat River and a nearby wastewater treatment plant. The enhancement in the treatment of water pollutants is done by means of a reactive layer, installed at the bottom of the infiltration pond - this consists of 1 500 m3 of vegetal compost (a nutrient and carbon source for biotreatment) and clay and iron oxide to increase adsorption. The methodology employed by ENSAT proved effective in reducing concentrations of nitrates, as well as two organic compounds: the pharmaceuticals, Carbamezapine epoxy and Gemfrbrozil. The reactive layer also showed good performance in releasing organic carbon to enhance the biotreatment of the infiltrated water. The project also developed the software hydROL, a monitoring tool that assesses the effectiveness of the reactive layer by gathering information on the quality of the infiltrated water, estimating the chemical changes of the water during the infiltration process and analysing and comparing results.
Website: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/project/Projects/ index.cfm?fuseaction=search.dspPage&n_proj_id=3429

technology for treating municipal and industrial wastewater with high depuration efficiencies and very low sludge production. The compact technology uses a submerged biofilter that combines all phases of biological treatment in one unit. A second innovation is the use of aerobic granulation for the biological treatment, which enables concentrated wastewater to be treated over a shorter time-scale and in very small reactors. The PERBIOF project tested this methodology in urban and tannery wastewater with great results. For instance, for urban wastewater, the plant achieved the following: reduced sludge production by up to 90% in comparison with traditional technologies; a reaction volume 20% of that of traditional technologies, an 80% reduction in investment costs; a 40% reduction in operating costs; a 70% reduction in the use of resources; and a 90% reduction in the contribution to global warming and eco-toxicity. The treatment of tannery wastewater also produced promising results, compared with a traditional plant: the footprint of the PERBIOF plant was only 25% of that of a standard plant; there was a 66% reduction in operating costs; sludge output was reduced by 95%; and all emissions showed lower toxicity levels. In particular, human toxicity was reduced by 74%, terrestrial eco-toxicity by 64% and freshwater aquatic eco-toxicity by 50%.
Website: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/project/Projects/ index.cfm?fuseaction=search.dspPage&n_proj_id=2878

PERBIOF aimed to demonstrate an innovative

lem of groundwater pollution by arsenic and associated components in the Carpathian Basin. To achieve this it constructed a mobile pilot plant that is able to remove ammonia, methane and arsenic from water in three steps with 98% efficiency and without adding any chemicals. After pumping, the groundwater passes through an aeration unit that oxygenates the water and removes 98% of the methane. Thereafter it passes to a biological ammonia removal filter that is capable of removing up to 2 mg/l of NH4. The arsenic is then removed by adsorption, passing through two filters containing iron-coated quartz grains. These modules are also efficient in removing Fe, Mn, PO4, Ca and Mg. The process finishes with a chlorination unit. The project team carried out a cost-benefit analysis, which found that the operating and maintenance costs of the pilot plant are some 0.38/m3 of arsenic free water for a 100 m3/day plant, a price that could easily be reduced if the technology is scaled up to industrial size. The beneficiary also believes that the SUMANAS technology could be of great use to the 400 towns and villages in Hungary with arsenic levels significantly in excess of EU and the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines. The technology was demonstrated at six sites in Hungary and Romania in the course of the LIFE project.
Website: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/project/Projects/ index.cfm?fuseaction=search.dspPage&n_proj_id=2861

SUMANAS was a project that tackled the prob-

The main aim of WATACLIC was to implement sustainable water management (SWM) technologies in Italys urban areas in order to achieve reductions in water and energy consumption. Information was provided to key stakeholders through a series of communication tools. Firstly, the project built a database of SWM technologies and good practices. These were disseminated through five different information campaigns, each one including a number of workshops and communication activities. The campaigns tackled specific issues and targeted specific audiences:  Water and rules targeted local authorities and urban planners with advice on how to promote and implement SWMs through urban planning and building regulations.  Water and money mainly targeted water authorities, addressing such themes as the effective and equitable use of water tariffs for saving water.  Water and energy addressed ways to minimise water losses and improve the energy efficiency of water services.  Water and citizens Focused on innovative and effective communication tools for encouraging consumers to adopt more responsible behaviour. This campaign was mostly aimed at public administrations, utilities and NGOs.  Water and innovation fostered implementation of SWMs among industry and plumbers. The events organised by WATACLIC brought together over 1 400 Italian stakeholders from 650 different organisations.
Website: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/project/Projects/ index.cfm?fuseaction=search.dspPage&n_proj_id=3499

Environment
Visit the LIFE website: www.ec.europa.eu/life