Centro Ricerche Produzioni Animali – C.R.P.A. S.p.A.

The project: objectivesand activities

European Orientation Group Meeting

Murcia,27- 28 October 2016

LIFE+ ReQproA model to reclaim and reuse wastewater for quality crop production

Centro Ricerche Produzioni Animali – C.R.P.A. S.p.A.

The LIFE + Project

- Financed by the European Commission through LIFE+, the EU’s financial instrument supporting environmental and nature conservation projects throughout the European Union

- starting date December 2012 – ending date February2017

- coordinator: C.R.P.A. S.p.A. - Reggio Emilia

- 3 associated beneficiaries

- 2 co-financiers

Centro Ricerche Produzioni Animali – C.R.P.A. S.p.A.

The beneficiaries

Centro Ricerche Produzioni Animali(project leader)

Iren Emilia

Consorzio di bonifica dell’Emilia Centrale

Autorità di Bacino del Fiume Po

Centro Ricerche Produzioni Animali – C.R.P.A. S.p.A.

The co-financers

Provincia di Reggio Emilia

Iren Acqua Gas

Centro Ricerche Produzioni Animali – C.R.P.A. S.p.A.

The LIFE + Project

The activities are developed in the province of Reggio Emilia (Emilia-Romagna region, Northern Italy)

the study area of the project: north of the city centre, between the Crostolo brook, the Rodano-CanalazzoTassone brook and Argine canal

Centro Ricerche Produzioni Animali – C.R.P.A. S.p.A.

The treatment plant

• Rapid sand filtration + UV/H2O2 was chosen as the best combination for purification and disinfection since it meets costs and process flexibility needs.

• The real scale tertiary plant was built during the years 2013-2015 and strarted in September 2015 .

• When fully operational the plant will treat approximately 40.000 m3/day with a unit cost estimated at 0,037 €/m3

Centro Ricerche Produzioni Animali – C.R.P.A. S.p.A.

The catchment area

Centro Ricerche Produzioni Animali – C.R.P.A. S.p.A.

The catchment area

Centro Ricerche Produzioni Animali – C.R.P.A. S.p.A.

Objectives

The overall objective of the project is:

to contribute to the protection of water resourcesthrough efficient reclamation and reuse ofwastewater for irrigation of agricultural land,substituting surface water and groundwaterresources.

Centro Ricerche Produzioni Animali – C.R.P.A. S.p.A.

Objectives

The specific objectives are:

start up of the tertiary treatment and evaluate its efficiency and costs;

test new irrigation management practices, including optimization of the irrigation wastewater applied;

obtain indications on the best practices for wastewater reuse to support the implementation of the measures of the river basin management plan (RBMP) of the Po river;

evaluate the environmental and economic effects;

increase the awareness of farmers which will use treated wastewater.

Centro Ricerche Produzioni Animali – C.R.P.A. S.p.A.

Activities

A. Procedures for plant start-up and definition of thecatchment area

B.1 Wastewater reclamation: tertiary (finishing) treatment

B.2 Wastewater reuse: optimization of use and traceability

C.1 Monitoring of the environmental impact

C.2 Monitoring of the socio-economic impact

D.1-5 Communication and dissemination Actions

E. Networking

Centro Ricerche Produzioni Animali – C.R.P.A. S.p.A.

Action A – Procedures for plant start-up and definition of the catchment area (IEM)

Objectives:

- To define the catchment area for the allocation of the treated wastewater to the farms for crops irrigation (2100 ha north of Reggio Emilia)

- To set up the procedures for the start and proper functioning of the tratment plant (sand filtration + H2O2 e UV treatments).

Results:

• report ont the carchment area, settlement of the agreement between IEM /treatment plant) and CBEC (reclamation Consortium for the water allocation) and the contingency plan

Centro Ricerche Produzioni Animali – C.R.P.A. S.p.A.

Action B.1 – Wastewater reclamation: tertiary treatment (IEM)

Objective:

- Evaluate and optimize the functioning of the plant in order to allow the reuse of the effluent for cropsirrigation (48 additional checks in addition to the analises forseen by the usual self-monitoring)

Results:

• treatment plant properly finctioning with outcomingwastewater pursuant to the Ministerial Decree no. 185

Centro Ricerche Produzioni Animali – C.R.P.A. S.p.A.

Action B.2 – Wastewater reuse: optimization of use and traceability (CBEC)

Objective:

- To organize a management and traceability system for the treated wastewater . This will allow to value the reuse for irrigation and to know in real time who is usingthe wastewater, for wich crops

Results:

• implementation of the system on the catchment area asa whole

Centro Ricerche Produzioni Animali – C.R.P.A. S.p.A.

Action C.1 – Monitoring of the environmental impact (CRPA)

Objective:

- To verify the environmental and agronomic effects due to the treated wastewater reuse in farms that produce horticultural crops, forage crops and grain crops for livestock feed and for the market

23 indicator plots distributed in 10 farms, 8 crops

Results:

• N-P accumulation, salinization, faecal contaminaion, toxicity/mutagenicity

Centro Ricerche Produzioni Animali – C.R.P.A. S.p.A.

Action C.2 – Monitoring of the socio-economic impact (AdBPo)

Objective:

- Evaluate from the economic and social point of view the reclamation and reuse for irrigation purposes of the wastewater, according to the approaches as follows:

a) cost/benefits analisys of the proposedmodel (in collaboration with the University of Bologna)

b) assesment of the policy mechanisms to stimulatethe application of the reuse (in colaboration withthe University of Utrecht)

Centro Ricerche Produzioni Animali – C.R.P.A. S.p.A.

European Orientation Group Meeting

Murcia,27 - 28 October 2016

LIFE+ ReQproA model to reclaim and reuse wastewater for quality crop production