The Tarragona petrochemical industry replaced by regenerated water
on January 27, 2011
Two performances related shall make possible the use of 6.8 hm3 annual of regenerated water, of which 5.8 hm3year will be used by companies of the Camp de Tarragona and 1 hm3year for the establishment of environmental flows in the final stretch of the River Gaià. "The industries of Tarragona as regenerated water implies evaluated savings, in a first phase, 6, 8hm3 annual." That is, nearly seven million m3 per year that, for the most part, free drinking water from the network of regional supply which is the consortium of waters of Tarragona. Therefore, it's a water release for domestic uses of the municipalities of the area. This would be the main use. Later, a hectometre of these seven will be earmarked for the restoration of the maintenance of the Gaià River flows. "In total, six are for safe use and one more for environmental use", specifies Jordi Molist, head of the Department of planning of supply of water of the Agència Catalana of l'Aigua.
The substitution of water for reused for industrial applications is the basis of an agreement between the Agència Catalana de Aigua (ACA), l' chemical Business Association of Tarragona (AEQT) and Aguas Industriales de Tarragona (Aitasa), signed on July 30. The agreement stipulates that the Agència Catalana de l'Aigua, owner of the premises of the sewage treatment plant of Vila-Seca, give the exploitation of the plant of tertiary treatment - still under construction - to Aitasa for 25 years. "The Convention has a very simple base - argues Molist - and from there a number of branches that are have been docking." The base is the replacement. Industry renounced these flows of water Consortium, Tarragona, which was committed and, in return, the Administration gives you this plant of regeneration that produces an equivalent flow. From here the operating costs are studied and it is checked the balance is neutral for the industry. In addition, should take into account that there are tax benefits to the use of water regenerated in Catalonia, in the canon of water charged by the Agència Catalana de l'Aigua. "So is balanced balance sheet so that it is correct for the industrial and management".
"The industry renounced these flows of water in exchange for regenerated." "Study costs of exploitation and it checks that the balance is neutral"
A secure supply of water with salinity low, suitable for industry
The project includes then , the works of construction of a plant of tertiary treatment –that it will be able to arrive to produce, in a principle, 18.911 m3/day– and of the drivings that will make possible the use of water regenerated allocated to several industries of the Camp of Tarragona. In opinion of the boss of the Department of Planning of Water supply of the Agència Catalan of l'Aigua, the project finds in a very advanced “phase”. “Already it has finalised the civil work and, practically, have planted the greater part of the equipment and carries out the phase of urbanisation. In principle, the plant would be finalised during this first semester and, later, would carry out diverse proofs of operation. The intention is that, before finishing the year, already can offer a regular water supply”. As it explains Molist, this performance is to modulate, so that it can expand to measure that increase the demand hídrica of the city councils of Tarragona, beneficiarios of this performance. In a first phase, would obtain 10 hm3 until the year 2015, for afterwards expand the discharge until the 20 hm3, what would involve also civil work.
The plant builds on some terrains situated between the installations of waste treatment water and composting of Vila-Dry and Salou, in the terms of Tarragona and Vila-Dry (Catalonia), and will take advantage of the already treated waters previously in the debuggers of Tarragona and of Vila-Dry and Salou. This plant of tertiary treatment, funded by the Agència Catalan of l'Aigua, the European cohesion funds –in 85%– and the
Reclaimed water is achieved through the implementation of a number of additional treatments to a conventional sewage treatment plant (often referred to as tertiary treatment) and that create a water quality sufficient and suitable for various uses. I for example, irrigation agriculture and golf courses, industrial applications, recharge of aquifers, among others. In this case, the use of reclaimed water will make it possible to have more water and reduce the consumption of drinking water. "It's finding the water better adapted for each use." "The regenerated not goes to household uses because it is forbidden by the law of water, but the direct reuse of sewage water is optimal for industrial use", explains the head of the Department of planning of supply of water of the Agència Catalana of l'Aigua.
By his part, the previous conseller of Medi Ambient i Habitatge, Francesc Baltasar, the director of the Agència Catalan of l'Aigua, Manuel Hernández, and the director CI Tarragona of Repsol Oil, Joan Pedrerol Galician, signed an agreement that establishes the environingingmental discharges of the low stretch of the river Gaià. “It is a parallel agreement to the reuse, similar and therefore, complementary. And it is the way in that it frees this hectómetro cubic for the compensation of the river Gaià. The agreement establishes which are the ways in that they will free the heights of the reservoir from the which will be compulsory to free this discharge of maintenance. And it establishes the way in that it will realizar the economic balance of this operation that yes could give foot, sometime, to economic disequilibriums. Therefore, this agreement treats these two appearances: the economic balance and the technical way in that it frees this hectómetro cubic”, details Molist, the one who considers to this project of reuse like “pioneer”, regarding the discharge of water to obtain, the requirements of treatment and the number of industries addressees, in comparison with experiences of minor calibrate in Andalucia and Madrid. Likewise, waiting for the results of this operation could carry out other performances in other points of the Autonomous Community. “Whenever it look for this general interest that supposes the renunciation, by part of the industry, of a previously hired source in return of a discharge of water regenerated of big guarantee, from a hydrological vision”, puntualiza. The reuse is one of the axles of the politics of the water of the Catalan government and foresees reach the 190 hm3/year of water regenerated to half term, what would suppose 27% of the annual discharge treaty in the debuggers.