The demonstrator of the LIFE CERSUDS project has successfully managed 28 rain events since its construction
- On Wednesday, September 18, 2019, the LIFE CERSDUS project presented its results, along with other similar experiences, at an international conference held in Madrid at the Europa Hall of the European Commission Representation in Spain.
- More than 900,000 liters of water have been recovered again by the LIFE CERSUDS system to reach the subsoil and return to the aquifers.
- The quality of the recovered water is analyzed to demonstrate its purity, and the system will continue to be evaluated beyond the project's end.
The Instituto de Tecnología Cerámica (ITC), as the coordinating entity for the LIFE CERSUDS project, presented the results obtained after 3 years of successful work in Madrid on Wednesday, September 18th, during the European conference: “Adapting our cities to Climate Change: recent experiences on a European scale.” Among these results, they highlighted that the sustainable urban drainage system with ceramic skin, having a low commercial value, has managed to manage close to 1 million liters of water, which have been filtered into the subsoil to replenish aquifers, supported by other infrastructures. Thanks to periodic controls during each rainfall event, the quality and purity of the recovered water have been verified.
These and other data were presented during the event, but more projects related to improving the adaptation of cities to climate change through the use of green infrastructure were also discussed, such as, for example, “LIFE DRAINRAIN.”, www.lifedrainrain.com whose main objective is to mitigate the environmental impact of stormwater runoff and has its demonstrator located in the Port of Ferrol. Or the “LIS WATER” project, www.lis-water.org located in Portugal, which seeks to achieve better water services and water resource management. Also the “Project Ô” project, http://eu-project-o.eu/
It provided a demonstration of how small local water management circuits can be beneficial for alleviating pressure on a water management system, adapting this resource to the Circular Economy.
Another experience shared at this event was the project “H2020 URBAN GreenUP”, https://www.urbangreenup.eu/ whose objective is the development, application, and replication of urban restoration plans in various associated European and non-European cities, with the aim of mitigating the effects of climate change, improving air and water quality, and increasing the sustainability of our cities through innovative nature-based solutions.
To conclude the event, Javier Mira, principal investigator of the LIFE CERSUDS project, analyzed the results obtained thanks to the Sustainable Urban Drainage System (SUDS) demonstrator installed in Benicàssim, where, as the project members point out, it has been implemented: “a permeable surface with low environmental impact, based on the use of ceramic tiles of low commercial value, as a filtering paving system.”.
The demonstrator minimizes the effects of urban pluvial flooding, reduces air pollution, and improves water management by infiltrating it or allowing it to be reused for irrigation and cleaning public spaces. The main advantage of this system is that the ceramic tiles function as natural drainage, filtering rainwater directly into the natural environment or allowing it to be stored for other uses.
More information www.lifecersuds.eu