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ComeniusComenius

WaterWater a vital elementa vital element

2nd. 2nd. MeetingMeeting

CaltanissettaCaltanissetta ((SicilySicily))

15th 15th –– 19th March 19th March

TheThe importanceimportance ofof waterwater in in industryindustry

•• TheThe waterwater is is veryveryimportant in Anoia important in Anoia districtdistrictforfor thethe industryindustry..

•• TheThe most important most important industriesindustries ofof thisthis areaarea arearetextiletextile, , leatherleather andandmanufacturemanufacture ofof paper.paper.

•• WeWe can can seesee inin thisthis photophotothethe canal canal ofof waterwater in in Igualada. Igualada. ThisThis canal canal distributeddistributed thethe waterwaterthrough differentthrough differentfactories factories ofof leatherleather. .

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TheThe importanceimportance ofof waterwater in in industryindustry

•• TheThe ancientancient factories factories werewerebuiltbuilt nearnear thethe riverriver andand thisthisactivityactivity pollutedpolluted a lot.a lot.

•• NowNow somesome ofof thesethese factories factories areare closedclosed forfor thethe crisis crisis ofoftextiletextile industryindustry andand thethe newnewfactories factories trytry to to pollutepollute lessless..

•• NowNow therethere are are new new projects toprojects tocleanclean thethe AnoiaAnoia riverriver..

•• WeWe can can seesee atat thisthis photophoto thetheleatherleather museummuseum in Igualada.in Igualada.

TheThe importanceimportance ofof waterwater in in

economyeconomy

•• SpainSpain is is oneone ofof thethe most most important important turisticturistic placesplaces in in thetheworldworld..

•• A lot A lot ofof thethe villagesvillages in in CataloniaCatalonia coastcoast havehave ananimportant important turisticturistic industryindustry..

•• TheThe turisticturistic activityactivity increasesincreasesthethe useuse ofof waterwater: : thesethesevillagesvillages increaseincrease theirtheirinhabitantsinhabitants in in summersummer andandtherethere are aare a lot lot ofof leisureleisureactivitiesactivities thatthat needneed waterwater..

•• TheThe damsdams are are usedused in in SpainSpain forforhydroelectrichydroelectric powerpower stationstation..

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TheThe importanceimportance ofof waterwater in in

agricultureagriculture

•• In In thethe areaarea ofof Calaf Calaf thethedrydry agricultureagriculture is is veryveryimportant.important.

•• In In otherother parts parts ofofCataloniaCatalonia andand SpainSpain therethereareare irrigationirrigation agriculture, agriculture, too.too.

•• All All ofof thesethese activitiesactivitiesspendspend a lot a lot ofof waterwater..

•• NowNow therethere areare newnewsystemssystems ofof irrigationirrigation to to savesave waterwater..

TheThe importanceimportance ofof waterwater in in

navigationnavigation

•• TheThe riversrivers areare unnavigableunnavigable in in CataloniaCatalonia andand SpainSpain ((exceptexceptGuadalquivir Guadalquivir untiluntil Sevilla)Sevilla)

•• TheThe riversrivers areare fewfew largelarge andandirregular.irregular.

•• TheThe navigationnavigation is is veryveryimportant on important on thethe seasea. . CataloniaCatalonia andand SpainSpain havehave a a veryvery important important fishingfishing fleetfleet..

•• ThereThere areare important important commercialcommercial seaports, too,seaports, too, likelikeBarcelona. Barcelona.

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UseUse ofof freshfresh waterwater or salt or salt waterwater

•• TheThe waterwater ofof riversrivers is is storedstored in in damsdams andand itit is is cleanedcleaned in in waterwatertreatmenttreatment plantsplants forfor thethe humanhuman uses.uses.

•• NowadaysNowadays itit’’ss usual in usual in SpainSpain to to cleanclean thethe salt salt waterwater ofof thethe seasea forforhumanhuman uses.uses.

•• TheThe waterwater ofof thethe sea sea isis cleanedcleaned in in saltsalt waterwater treatmenttreatment plantsplants..

UseUse ofof freshfresh waterwater

•• OneOne ofof the waterthe water treatmenttreatment plantplant in in CataloniaCatalonia is is situatedsituatedin Abrera.in Abrera.

•• ThisThis plantplant distributesdistributes waterwater to 80 to 80 towns,towns, aproximatelyaproximatelyandand itit’’ss veryvery important in important in thethe areaarea ofof BarcelonaBarcelona andand thethedistrictdistrict ofof Anoia.Anoia.

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ProcessProcess ofof a a freshfresh waterwater treatmenttreatment

plantplant

1.1. ObtainingObtaining waterwater fromfrom riverriver andandcleaningcleaning ofof thethe bigbig materialsmaterials likelikesandsand oror stonesstones. .

2.2. PumpingPumping waterwater andand adjustmentadjustmentofof PH PH ofof waterwater withwith dioxidedioxide ofofcarboncarbon..

3.3. Mixture Mixture andand floculationfloculation. . Clean Clean water with chlorine and other water with chlorine and other reagentsreagents..

4.4. FilterFilter waterwater withwith sandsand. (. (BedsBeds ofofsandsand aboveabove 70 cm)70 cm)

5.5. FilterFilter waterwater withwith actiactive ve coalcoal..

6.6. Reversible Reversible electricelectric cyclingcycling pumppump. . EliminateEliminate thethe saltsalt ofof waterwater..

7.7. AAdd chlorinedd chlorine againagain and and store store waterwater forfor human use.human use.

UseUse ofof salt salt waterwater

•• In 1950In 1950’’s s itit waswas builtbuilt thethe firstfirst salt salt waterwater treatmenttreatment plantplant in in SpainSpain. . ItItwaswas builtbuilt in in CanaryCanary islandsislands..

•• NowadaysNowadays thisthis systemsystem ofof waterwater treatmenttreatment is is developingdeveloping in in SpainSpain to to solvesolve thethe problemproblem ofof waterwater..

•• TheThe salt salt waterwater treatmenttreatment plantplant ofof El Prat (El Prat (nearnear Barcelona)Barcelona) started to started to workwork in 2009 in 2009 andand itit’’ss oneone ofof the biggestthe biggest in in EuropeEurope..

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ProcessProcess ofof salt salt waterwater treatmenttreatment

plantplant

1.1. TakingTaking waterwater fromfrom thethesystemsystem. . ItIt waswas builtbuilt a a pipepipe thatthat enterenterss 5 5 kmkm in in thethe sea.sea.

2.2. PrePre--treatmenttreatment. . ItIt cleancleans s water ofwater of solidsolid materialsmaterials: : sandsand, , stonesstones, , seaweedseaweed……Filter of water and Filter of water and microfiltermicrofilter. . Add chlorine Add chlorine and other chand other cheemicmichal hal processprocess..

ProcessProcess ofof salt salt waterwater treatmenttreatment

plantplant

3. 3. PumpPump ofof highhigh pressurepressure. . ThisThis pump separatespump separatesthe the salts salts from the from the waterwater..

4. Reverse osmosis 4. Reverse osmosis waterwater. . ItItseparatesseparates thethe saltsalt waterwaterandand cleanscleans waterwater withwiththethe pressurepressure in in membranesmembranes..

5. Post5. Post--treatmenttreatment. . ItItneutralizesneutralizes thethe PH PH ofofwaterwater andand disinfectsdisinfects thethewaterwater withwith ozone.ozone.

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AdvantagesAdvantages andand disadvantagesdisadvantages ofof

salt salt waterwater

•• ADVANTAGES: ADVANTAGES:

-- ItIt can can useuse a a bigbig quantityquantity ofof waterwater whenwhen thethe riversrivers areare drydry..

-- AfterAfter thethe treatmenttreatment thisthis waterwater is as is as goodgood asas thethe freshfresh waterwater fromfrom thetheriversrivers. . TheThe tastetaste is similar is similar thanthan freshfresh waterwater or even or even betterbetter..

•• DISADVANTAGESDISADVANTAGES::

-- TheThe processprocess ofof thisthis treatmenttreatment plantplant can harmcan harm marinemarine lifelife..

-- TheThe cost cost ofof thisthis processprocess is is moremore expensiveexpensive thanthan thethe processprocess ofof freshfreshwaterwater..

-- ThisThis process movesprocess moves thethe sandsand ofof thethe beachesbeaches andand itit can can affectaffect thetheseasea ecosystemecosystem..

-- WhenWhen thethe processprocess is is finishedfinished: : whatwhat I can do I can do withwith thethe remainderremainder salt?salt?