18/01/2024
The intoDBP project brings together Girona in relevant entities in the field of drinking water from all over the country
- The meeting was attended by the Spanish project partners and invited experts, and served to gather contrasting opinions on topics such as the regulation of disinfection by-products, the future of drinking water and strategies to increase the use of tap water by the public as opposed to bottled water.
Considering that climate forecasts anticipate more frequent and longer-lasting drought episodes in the Mediterranean region, it is imperative to look for alternative sources of drinking water to improve climate resilience with respect to this resource. Solutions such as water reclamation, aquifer recharge and desalination are already mature and need to be implemented. In this context, new challenges arise, such as the need to investigate substances generated by the treatment itself, such as disinfection by-products, which may be different from those traditionally generated when water is collected from natural reservoirs.
Following this line of work, Girona has hosted a meeting of the panel of experts within the European project intoDBP, coordinated by the Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA-CERCA) and the University of Girona (UdG). A project that aims to create innovative tools and strategies to improve water quality management for safe human use and a protected environment, focusing on disinfection by-products. Another objective of the project is also to promote the use of tap water versus bottled water.
Participating in this meeting were entities such as the Agència Catalana de l'Aigua, CatSalut, Aigües de Barcelona, Catalan Water Partnership, Universitat de Girona (LEQUIA), Dileka, Createch360, the Observatori de l'Aigua de Terrassa, Consorci d'Aigües de Costa Brava i Girona (CACBGi), Cicle de l'Aigua del Ter (CATSA) and Meteocat.
During the meeting, the progress achieved during the first year of research was presented, in addition to collecting opinions from the different actors involved. Among the topics discussed were current regulations, the future of drinking water treatment and management, and strategies to increase the use of tap water by the public as opposed to bottled water. Tap water is the safest, most economical and environmentally friendly option. Yet surveys show that only 50% of citizens use tap water as a source of drinking water. In Girona, the effort, involvement and advanced technology that we have in our country, which guarantees us a safe water supply, has once again been demonstrated. Although, from time to time, the taste could be improved, its safety is indisputable.
Active community participation
In the intoDBP project, researchers, small and large companies, communication and utility experts come together to generate interdisciplinary solutions, which generate a renewed perspective on drinking water monitoring, support decision making and governance, and increase the resilience of the system. In this sense, one of the main focuses of the project are the communication activities, centered on the active participation of the community of practice, which includes interested public agencies, water utilities, and private companies among others. The main communication method consists in the implementation of stakeholder panels of the case studies investigated in the project.
Maria José Farré from ICRA-CERCA coordinates the four-year intoDBP project, with a team formed by partners from Spain, Ireland, Cyprus, Italy, Belgium, Israel, Austria, USA and Australia. The Spanish partners in Girona include CEAB-CSIC, ISGlobal, S::can Iberia S.L., ATL and Canal de Isabel II.
