The Catalan Water Agency (ACA) has opened a public consultation period for the project to build a regenerated water plant at the Reus wastewater treatment facility in Tarragona. This new plant, budgeted at €20.9 million, is designed to supply irrigation water to farmers in the Camp de Tarragona region and is expected to be operational by 2028.
The proposal includes constructing the Regenerated Water Station (ERA) and the pipeline to transport the water to storage ponds. The Department of Agriculture is responsible for the pipeline infrastructure, with environmental impact reports still being processed. The project plans to increase the Reus treatment plant's regenerated water output from 17,000 m³/day to 20,000 m³/day, with the capacity to expand to 25,000 m³/day.
Addressing Farmers' Needs
Farmers in the Camp de Tarragona have long called for this future regenerated water plant. They have faced significant challenges in recent years, unable to irrigate their crops due to persistent drought conditions. After several delays, the ACA has now presented the project that will make this critical infrastructure possible.
The ERA will be located within the existing Reus wastewater treatment plant grounds, specifically in the composting area. The current plant can treat 17,000 m³/day, amounting to an annual volume of 6.2 hm³. Of this, 1.5 hm³/year is allocated to the Molinet Irrigators' Community and 0.2 hm³/year to the Aigüesverds Golf Course. However, the Molinet irrigators currently use only 0.5 hm³.
Expanding Capacity and Technology
This leaves a free volume of 5 hm³/year available for regeneration, which the ACA notes is almost equivalent to the water volume of the Riudecanyes reservoir. With the new plant, the Reus facility will reach 20,000 cubic metres per day of regenerated water, a volume that can be expanded to 25,000.
The treatment process will involve coagulation, textile disc filtration, and UV (ultraviolet) disinfection. Additionally, the project includes installing 1,408 photovoltaic panels, providing a peak power of 550 watts, to help power the facility. This initiative represents a significant step towards ensuring a more reliable water supply for agriculture in the region.
