Demonstrating integrated innovative technologies for an optimal and safe closed

water cycle in Mediterranean tourist facilities

Funded under the Water and Innovation Action of the 7th Framework programme of RTD-D of the European Union

Ignasi Rodriguez-Rodairodriguezroda@icra.cat, ignasi.rodriguezroda@udg.edu

15 January 2015

2nd Official MITOMED event Girona

LAYOUTo Tourism and water (in Euro-Med)o demEAUmed

• consortium, objectives• Water cycle diagnose

o quantity/qualityo survey Hotels

• Water treatment• Expected results• Advisory board/Innovation/synergies

o Water footprint and other indicators…•

o Euromediterranean area:

• WATER SCARCITY & TOURISM DESTINATIONo Tourism is central part of Mediterranean economies

(e.g. Spain – 11%)o European directives and policies related to this topic... gapso Green label would be a plus for European tourism vs. other

destinations

TourismTourism and water and water (in EuroMed)(in EuroMed)

• Hotels, golf resorts, spas, amusement parks• Identify points of maximum use of water• To decrease water footprint (cost)• To optimize water management (health)• To communicate to client/society (image)

TourismTourism and water and water (in EuroMed)(in EuroMed)

Possible water sourcesPossible water sources

tap watertap water

groundwatergroundwater

seawaterseawater rain waterrain water WWTP effluentWWTP effluent

Water uses in hotelsWater uses in hotels

Among (direct) water uses the most relevant are:

• Rooms: Toilet Shower• Pool• Kitchen• Laundry• Common areas: Toilet cleaning• Garden• Golf• Acclimatization

o Global market opportunities for SMEso There are innovative technologies. Just a few are implemented.

Never in an integrated wayDifferent water sources (tap, rain, groundwater)Water and energy minimisationWastewater separation (grey, yellow, black)Wastewater treatmentWater reuse (gardening, flush, natural swimming pool., etc)

TourismTourism and water TREATMENT and water TREATMENT

demEAUmeddemonstrating integrated innovative technologies for an

optimal and safe closed water cycle in Mediterranean tourist facilities

demEAUmed - Consortium

o 1st January 2014

o 15 partners; 7 countries

o Duration: 42 months (June 2017)

o Demo Site: Hotel Samba (Lloret de Mar)

o Total budget: 5,831,907.84€

o EC contribution:4,016,469.95€

ENV-2013.WATER INNO&DEMO-1 Water innovation demonstration projects

demEAUmed – ObjectivesdemEAUmed – Objectives

o Integration of innovative technologies for an optimal and safe closed water cycle in Mediterranean tourist facilities

Involvement of industry representatives, stakeholders, research centres, policy-makers

and diverse technical and scientific experts to : demonstrate demonstrate and promotepromote:

o Reduction of water consumption

o Water cycle monitoring, control and automation

o Dissemination of results to other touristic resorts

o Creation of new market opportunities to European industries and SMEs

demEAUmed strategy: Water treatmentdemEAUmed strategy: Water treatment

legislationGAPS

TREATMENT

CONTROLSCENARIOS

From Hotels to demEAUmed From Hotels to demEAUmed DEMO siteDEMO site

The Costa Brava (NE, Spain) is an important Spanish and European holiday destination (recommended destination 2012, National Geographic Traveler).

Lloret de Mar, is the largest resort on the Costa Brava, (40,000 inhabitants, up to 200,000 in summer)

Samba Hotel is a large resort (441 rooms), green areas and exterior pools, conference room, bar and restaurant.•Certified by EMAS and ISO14001 •Water use from 25,000 to 34,000 m3/year (100 to 135 l/client/day)•Grey water system for water closets

demEAUmed DEMO site

demEAUmed Hotel (Samba Hotel)demEAUmed Hotel (Samba Hotel)

Restaurant (kitchen)

Rooms Swimming pool

Gardens

demEAUmed – water cycledemEAUmed – water cycle

1. To conduct a WATER CYCLE DIAGNOSE in the representative Samba DEMO site’s facilities: • to acquire the guidelines for a safe closed water cycle

strategy within the hotel. • To identify, quantify and characterize the water fluxes.• To define the guidelines for a safe closed water cycle.

demEAUmed Water cycle diagnosedemEAUmed Water cycle diagnose

Back garden 2%

Pool garden 8%

Shower 54%

Basement 11%

Pool 13%

Pool bar 1%

Kitchen 8%

Laundry 2%

Toilet flushing 0%

In terms of quantity…In terms of quantity…

in Samba Hotel – June 2014

..and in terms of quality..and in terms of quality

• Standard chemical analyses• Micropollutants content• Microbiological indicators

: 

1. To conduct a WATER CYCLE DIAGNOSE in the representative Samba DEMO site’s facilities

2. To ANALYSE and COMPARE water fluxes in different TOURISTIC MEDITERRANEAN FACILITIES:

• To acquire information in representative facilities.• To compare the information with DEMO site• To extend the guidelines to a broader range of touristic facilities

(e.g. at different scale, with different facilities, with different limitations etc.)

demEAUmed Water cycle diagnosedemEAUmed Water cycle diagnose

QuestionnaireQuestionnaire

1. Introduction: general information about the establishment

2. Water infrastructure o Presence of pool | spa | golf course and their sizeo Sources of water used for different parts of water infrastructureo water consumption monitoringo Use of water saving deviceso Grey | black | waste water treatment

3. Conclusion: general questions about environmental awareness

Example survey pageExample survey page

Questionnaire languagesQuestionnaire languages

Middle East + Africa

Spain

Final e-mails database Final e-mails database (sent surveys)(sent surveys)

Ministry of tourism agreed to forward the survey link to hotels in their database

No response

No response

Still in preparation (SEMIDE/EMWIS)

Low numbers or replies!

Final e-mails databaseFinal e-mails database

Any suggestion?

Help in dissemination?

Contacts:Ignasi Rodriguez-Roda (irodriguezroda@icra.cat)Gianluigi Buttiglieri (gbuttiglieri@icra.cat )Giuliana Ferrero (G.Ferrero@unesco-ihe.org)Yness Slokar (Y.Slokar@unesco-ihe.org)www.demEAUmed.eu

demEAUmed - TREATMENTdemEAUmed - TREATMENT

Example: greywater

demEAUmed – Technologies (1)demEAUmed – Technologies (1)

ELECTROCHEMICAL OZONATION Fraunhofer

ADSORPTION PROCESSES, Fraunhofer

PHOTOELECTRO FENTON, Leitat

ELECTROCOAGULATION - FLOTATION Leitat

Electro-Fenton

Photo-Fenton

UVOX, Wapure International GmbH

PLIMMER, Idropan

VERTICAL ECOSYSTEMS, Alchemia

Smart Air MBR, ICRA

demEAUmed – Technologies (2)demEAUmed – Technologies (2)

demEAUmed – Expected ResultsdemEAUmed – Expected Results

o 60 – 70% reuse of treated watero 30 – 50% water consumption reduction (drinking water)o 10 – 30% of environmental impact reduction within the Euro-Mediterranean resortso 60 – 80% emerging contaminants removalo Treatment and reuse of greywater on-site by the use of vertical ecosystemso 75-85% conductivity reductiono Microbiological charge removalo Control of water consumption and its qualityo Decision support systems -> Selection of the best water management alternatives

demEAUmed – Advisory Board MembersdemEAUmed – Advisory Board Members

o Mona Arnold: VTT, Technical Research Center, Finland

o Günther Langergraber: Austrian University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences.

o Eduard Fernández Martín: Melia Hotels International, Spain

The members of the advisory board are in charge of the periodic peer reviews of project progress and providing recommendations on project implementation.

demEAUmed - InnovationdemEAUmed - Innovationo Importance of touristic sector in Mediterranean countries. o Water scarcity in Mediterranean countries.o Engagement of the touristic sector towards more sustainable energy and water management

Closed cycle Treatment and reutilization of different effluents

Emerging contaminantsReduction of C footprint ICT

Political – Social thinkingStakeholders participation

Demonstration of pre-marketable technologies Integrated focus

demEAumed - synergiesdemEAumed - synergies

o Link with EIP Water

o Link with EIP Action Groups

• Current AG• Possible new AG

o Other EU water-related projects will be considered (FP7, H2020, LIFE, etc) to find possible synergies with demEAUmed.

o Complementary with other EU funding mechanisms:o European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF)o Research and Innovation Strategies for Smart Specialisation of the EU (RIS3)

For example:

RIS3CAT - Research and Innovation Strategy for Smart Specialisation of Catalonia

Pillar 1: Leading Sectors: 1) Food, 2) Energy and Resources, 3) Industrial systems, 4)

design-based sectors, 5) sustainable mobility, 6) health industries, 7) experienced-

based cultural industries.

For further information:

www.demEAUmed.eu

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Programme for research, technological

development and demonstration under grant agreement No. 619116

Laboratory of Chemical and Environmental Engineering

Water footprint (WF): concept

• WF is an indicator of the water use by a consumer or producer, including both direct and indirect use.

• Measured in volume of consumed water (evaporated or not returned) and/or contaminated per unit of time.

• Geographically and temporarily explicit• Can be calculated by a process, product a consumer (or group of)

or producer (Hoekstra et al., 2011 The WF Assessment Manual)

Laboratory of Chemical and Environmental Engineering

Water footprint (WF): concept

Blue WF•Volume of surface or ground water evaporated or incorporated into a product per unit of timeGreen WF•Volume of rain water evaporated or incorporated into a product per unit of timeGrey WF•Volume of polluted water per unit of time

(Hoekstra et al., 2011)

Laboratory of Chemical and Environmental Engineering

Water footprint: concept

(Hoekstra et al., 2011 The WF Assessment Manual)

Water footprint (WF)

I Fòrum LEQUIA de transferència tecnològica en l’àmbit de l’aiguaI Fòrum LEQUIA de transferència tecnològica en l’àmbit de l’aigua Girona, 12 de desembre de 2014

WF in hotelsWF in hotels

Direct:

Rooms: Toilet Cleaning Laundry

Restaurant: Kitchen Cleaning Laundry

Outdoor water: Garden Pool

Common areas: Toilet

Indirect:

Food: Vegetables Meat Beverages

Textile: Towels Sheets Tablecloths

Energy consumption

Construction materials

Life cycle assessment

I Fòrum LEQUIA de transferència tecnològica en l’àmbit de l’aiguaI Fòrum LEQUIA de transferència tecnològica en l’àmbit de l’aigua Girona, 12 de desembre de 2014

Life Cycle Assessment is:

“a technique for assessing the environmental aspects and potential impacts associated with a

product, system or service”; ISO 14044

Assessing the whole-of-life implicationsMaterial

extractionProduct

manufactureTransport

Process construction

Process operation

End-of-life

LCA and WF

I Fòrum LEQUIA de transferència tecnològica en l’àmbit de l’aiguaI Fòrum LEQUIA de transferència tecnològica en l’àmbit de l’aigua Girona, 12 de desembre de 2014

Enable to quantify the environmental impacts of a process

Eutrophication

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7000 Global warming

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+ sofisticated treatment