Technological advances in sustainable water management: webinar with José Vázquez from Aqualia

As part of the series of online events organised by the Bankinter Innovation Foundation, a second webinar was held dedicated to one of the most vital and at the same time most threatened resources: water. Rut Bosque, moderator of the event, expresses our concern about the recent DANA affecting Valencia and other areas of Spain, sending a message of support and wishing a speedy recovery for all impacted people and communities. After that, it summarises the conclusions of the report Water, our vital resource in check, an exhaustive analysis that includes the conclusions of the Future Trends Forum, in which more than 40 international experts participated. The report sets out a series of essential recommendations to advance water sustainability. Among them, the need to change the current paradigm towards management that prioritises the reuse and efficiency of water within a circular economy model stands out.

In addition, it underlines the importance of guaranteeing appropriate technologies for each local context, promoting sustainable solutions in sectors with high water demand such as agriculture and the textile industry. It also highlights the importance of promoting the reuse and desalination of water, integrating renewable energies as viable and sustainable alternatives.

It also highlights the need to educate and raise awareness in society about responsible water consumption and to establish solid and transparent regulatory frameworks that improve governance in this area, to ensure that all water sustainability efforts are sustained over time. These points represent a comprehensive framework to guide action and promote responsible and sustainable use of such an essential resource as water.

To delve into these issues, the Bankinter Innovation Foundation has invited José Vázquez Padín, a benchmark in the field of innovation and sustainability in water management. Director of Business Development North Zone at Aqualia Industrial and with more than 20 years of experience, José Ramón has led projects that optimize the use and management of water through advanced technologies. His work has focused on solutions such as autotrophic nitrogen removal, granular biomass and struvite precipitation, all of which are essential to improve water efficiency and reduce environmental impact.

In addition to his practical contribution, José Vázquez has influenced the development of the sector through scientific publications and the co-authorship of patents, consolidating himself as a leader in innovation applied to water treatment. During the webinar, he shares his vision on how technology is revolutionizing the management of this vital resource, exploring the specific challenges Spain faces on the road to real water sustainability. Its commitment to continuous improvement and sustainability makes it a critical voice in moving towards more efficient and conscious water management.

If you want to watch the webinar, you can do so here:

Below, we summarize the ideas discussed in the webinar, where José offers us an in-depth lecture on the challenges and technological advances in sustainable water management, sharing his vision on

how innovation is transforming the management of water resources, both in Spain and internationally, highlighting the role of technology in tackling climate change and the growing demand for water in the industrial and municipal sectors.

Aqualia: a global vision in water management

Aqualia is a leading company in the water management sector, with a presence in 18 countries, and a turnover of approximately 1,500 million euros. The company manages the integral water cycle, from drinking water to wastewater treatment and reuse, and currently serves some 45 million people. In Spain, Aqualia concentrates 62% of its business, although its presence is expanding in regions with high water demands, such as Latin America and the Middle East. During his speech, Vázquez Padín highlighted some of Aqualia’s main facilities in Spain, such as the new water treatment plant in Vigo, and internationally, the El Alamein desalination plant in Egypt, which has been recognised as one of the best plants in the world by the Global Water Awards, the Abu Rawash plant in Egypt, which serves 5.5 million people, and the plant in El Salitre, Colombia, designed for three million inhabitants. In addition, the company has extensive experience in industrial purification, with references in sectors such as petrochemicals, textiles and food, where water reuse and the reduction of water impact are increasingly required.

In addition to the drinking water and wastewater treatment infrastructure, Aqualia also manages sports centres in some towns, as part of its comprehensive commitment to concession contracts with public administrations. This type of project allows the company to cover the comprehensive water service

New European regulations and the challenge of sustainable sanitation

One of the central issues addressed in the webinar is the impact of the new European directive on wastewater treatment, a regulation that seeks to correct the 1991 Directive, which several countries, including Spain, do not comply with today. The new directive imposes stricter requirements, such as reducing pollutants in runoff water and treating new types of pollutants, all without increasing energy consumption. Vázquez Padín explains that in order to adapt to these demands, Spain will have to make significant investments in its sanitation infrastructures, as it still faces problems of non-compliance with the original regulations. This situation underscores the need for advanced technological solutions and more efficient management strategies to prevent overflows and improve water treatment.

In addition, in line with the control of micropollutants, Vázquez Padín points out the growing interest of the European Union in the use of wastewater as a tool for monitoring pandemics and other risks to public health. In collaboration with the University of Vigo, Aqualia carried out a pioneering project at the municipal treatment plant of Vigo, where the SARS-CoV-2 virus was tracked in the sanitation network during Christmas 2021. The study showed how, in just three weeks, the Omicron variant had spread throughout the city due to the influx of visitors. This experience highlights the value of wastewater as an epidemiological indicator, allowing the spread of viruses, the consumption of drugs or even psychotropic substances to be monitored.

The ability to track diseases and specific compounds in wastewater represents a critical tool for municipalities, providing them with valuable information to manage public health. Vázquez Padín stresses that, thanks to rapid technological advances, it is now possible to carry out advanced biotechnological tests in treatment plants, an option unimaginable just 20 years ago.

LIFE RESEAU project: innovation in the management of sanitation infrastructures

An outstanding example of Aqualia’s commitment to innovation is the LIFE RESEAU project, a €3 million initiative that Aqualia is carrying out in collaboration with the Danish operator VCS and the Technological Institute of Galicia. This project, which is being developed in Moaña, Galicia, seeks to optimize sanitation infrastructure through the implementation of sensors and mathematical models to detect and manage rainwater infiltrations into the sewerage network, a common problem in areas with unitary networks. Advanced monitoring and mathematical modelling enable smarter and more efficient management of resources, helping to prevent untreated water overflows into the environment.

Within the project, an innovative bacterial granule technology has also been implemented to optimize space and improve the efficiency of purification systems. This technology, which concentrates bacteria into small granules, improves sedimentation and reduces the need for space for decanters, allowing facilities to treat more water in a smaller area and with less energy consumption. This type of progress represents a sustainable and adaptable solution to the needs of sanitation infrastructures in cities with heavy rainfall, such as Vigo.

Joint treatment of bio-waste and wastewater: circular economy applied to water

Another of the innovations presented by Vázquez Padín is the joint treatment of biowaste and wastewater. In collaboration with various entities and universities, Aqualia has developed a system that mixes urban wastewater with biowaste, allowing the generation of biogas and the use of nutrients. This project, funded by the European LIFE programme, combines anaerobic processes with ultrafiltration membranes to obtain an effluent free of solids and pathogens, suitable for irrigation and other non-potable uses. This technology is an example of circular economy in water management, which maximises the use of resources and minimises the environmental footprint.

The expert highlights the development of innovative wastewater treatment technologies and “100% Made in Spain,” in collaboration with Spanish universities such as the University of Valencia. One of the most outstanding technologies is the one that combines anaerobic processes with ultrafiltration membranes, allowing biowaste to be converted into biomethane and obtaining treated water without solids or pathogens, ideal for irrigation, and biosolids that can be used as fertilizer. Aqualia is currently executing in Torrent, Valencia, the first full-scale unit in Spain for the treatment of urban wastewater.

In addition, Vázquez Padín explains the advance of technology based on the Anammox bacterium, a discovery in 1995 that revolutionized the nitrogen cycle in treatment plants, allowing ammonium and nitrite to be transformed directly into nitrogen gas, significantly reducing energy consumption in treatment. Although this bacterium was first identified and applied in the Netherlands, it has also been successfully researched and applied in Spain. In 2004, the University of Santiago managed to enrich a small reactor with Anammox sludge, and in 2015, Aqualia implemented its first industrial plant with this technology, which already has several references in the country. The implementation of Anammox technology allows greater efficiency in the removal of nitrogen in municipal and industrial treatment plants and in the treatment of leachate. In addition, the use of bacteria in the process guarantees an efficient and sustainable treatment, taking advantage of millions of years of evolution that make these bacteria efficient and low-consumption resources.

Decentralization of water treatment in buildings

In the urban sphere, Vázquez Padín highlights the concept of decentralized treatment of gray and black water, an approach that allows gray water to be reused for non-potable uses, such as filling toilet cisterns. This technology, already applied in some buildings in Vigo and San Cugat, represents a paradigm shift towards more efficient water management in environments with high population density. Decentralized treatment reduces drinking water consumption in buildings while contributing to sustainability by minimizing the volume of water sent to treatment plants.

Within the framework of the Run for Life project, Aqualia is making progress in the separate treatment of grey and black water. Along these lines, and in collaboration with the University of Santiago, the company has developed a patent to recover phosphorus from sewage, transforming it into a high-value mineral fertilizer. This development has required more than ten years of studies to comply with European regulations that allow the sale of this type of wastewater-derived products. The approval marks an important step towards the circular economy, as it turns waste into a usable resource, reducing dependence on conventional fertilisers and promoting more sustainable resource management. Vázquez Padín encourages other innovators to explore technologies that make it possible to eliminate the label of “waste” of valuable materials, thus promoting their reintegration into production cycles.

Success stories in the Tarragona chemical hub and in the Galician canning industry

Within the industrial sector, Aqualia has implemented pioneering solutions such as the common treatment plant in the Tarragona chemical complex. This facility, built by the company AITASA, treats wastewater from multiple chemical industries, including Repsol, Dow, BASF, Ercros, Clariant, using advanced technologies such as ultrafiltration membranes and dissolved air flotation systems. The centralisation of treatment allows for greater efficiency and facilitates compliance with increasingly stringent environmental regulations.

The treatment plant treats around 1,500 cubic metres per hour of wastewater highly contaminated with hydrocarbons and other complex substances. To achieve efficient removal of these contaminants, the plant uses the DAFAST system, a patented dissolved air flotation technology, along with biological reactors, ultrafiltration membranes, and activated carbon filters. Ultrafiltration membranes stand out for their compactness and their ability to produce high-quality ultrafiltered water, suitable for reuse.

AITASA is currently looking to take an additional step in sustainability, working with Aqualia to evaluate how to osmosis and reuse 100% of the water treated in industrial processes, which would represent a significant advance in the circular economy applied to the petrochemical sector.

In Galicia, an innovative solution has been implemented for one of the largest canning industries in Galicia, in response to the reduction of discharge limits into the sea, which since December 2023 have been much stricter. The company carried out an analysis of alternatives, opting for a combined line of anaerobic processes and ELAN-Anammox, which, although it implies a higher initial cost (CAPEX), is significantly more efficient in operating costs (OPEX) and produces less waste. This system generates more energy than it consumes, producing biomethane and reducing sludge generation compared to other methods. This project represents a commitment to sustainability in a sector with high demand for water, demonstrating how innovation can offer solutions with low environmental impact and high efficiency for industry.

Questions Answers

During the webinar, José Vázquez answers various questions from the audience, addressing the main challenges, advances and opportunities in the field of water treatment and reuse. Below is a summary of some of the most relevant questions and answers offered by Joseph:

1. Urgency in the adoption of new technologies: Vázquez Padín highlights the importance of adopting more sustainable and circular technologies in water management, suggesting that this strategy is essential to minimize environmental impact. He gives the example of Galicia, where the dispersion of the population poses unique challenges that require adapted and efficient technologies.
2. Use of artificial intelligence and digitalisation: explains how the digitalisation of water in Spain is advancing thanks to significant investments. The sensorisation of water networks, combined with artificial intelligence, makes it possible to analyse large volumes of data and manage the infrastructure more efficiently, especially in cases of emergencies such as DANAs.
3. Potential for reusing wastewater for consumption: already used in places such as Singapore and California, this practice is viable, according to Vázquez Padín, and more sustainable than seawater desalination. In Spain, although legislation limits direct use, there are examples of indirect reuse, such as in Barcelona, demonstrating its potential in water-scarce areas.
4. Capabilities of current DWTPs to remove contaminants: Vázquez Padín points out that, through advanced technologies, Drinking Water Treatment Plants (DWTPs) can remove complex contaminants such as pesticides and heavy metals. However, he emphasises that cost is a critical factor, and suggests that reflecting the value of water in tariffs would help raise awareness of its importance and promote more responsible use.
5. Future of innovation in the sector: finally, the expert is optimistic about the evolution of the sector, highlighting how climate change and regulations drive the need for innovative solutions. It points out the role of universities and technology centres in Spain in the development of new technologies to improve efficiency and sustainability in water management.

The Foundation’s next webinar, on November 21 at 4:00 p.m., will continue to explore the topic of water, focusing on the agricultural sector, which represents one of the largest consumers of water in Spain: Water and Agriculture: Innovation for Sustainable Use. The session will feature the participation of Santi Singla, an expert in sustainable solutions for agriculture, and promises to provide new ideas on how technology can help reduce water consumption in this sector.