We are FCC Nº26

Influent water to the WWTP and regenerated water after treatment. Treated water “reborn” with the Phoenix project to respond to water shortages With forecasts predicting a gradual rise in temperatures over the years and greater danger of persistent drought, the need to find alternati - ve sources of water supply for agri - culture is becoming more pressing, especially in areas such as Almeria, where the primary sector is the main economic driver. Treated wastewater is seen as a solu- tion to this problem in a country where, although it is the leader in Europe, only between 7 and 13% of this water is reused, according to the Spanish As - sociation of Desalination and Reuse (AEDYR). But to be able to use this treated wa- ter in agriculture, it must meet a series of quality standards that will become even stricter this year when the new European Regulation on water reuse approved by the European Parliament comes into force on 26 June: Regula - tion (EU) 2020/741. This sets minimum quality and control requirements to ensure that reclaimed water is safe for agricultural irrigation, thus ensuring a high level of protection for the environ - ment and human and animal health, promoting the circular economy, su - pporting adaptation to climate change and tackling water scarcity. It is within this framework that the Life Phoenix project was born, in which Life Phoenix seeks to convert wastewater into a high-value element for reuse in agricultural irrigation in a safe and efficient way I N N O V A T I O N 63 I N N O V A T I O N