This wastewater treatment system is based on microbial electrochemistry

President of the Tagus Water Authority Antonio Yáñez visited the metland® plant installed at IMDEA Agua last Wednesday, during a meeting aimed at publicizing the pilot facilities for treating wastewater using microbial electrochemistry that already operate in the Scientific and Technological Campus of the University of Alcalá.

During the visit, the president was accompanied by the Chancellor of the UAH, José Vicente Saz; the university delegate for the Royal Botanical Garden, Manuel Peinado, and the director of IMDEA Agua, Eloy García Calvo. Mayor of Alcalá de Henares Javier Rodríguez Palacios and the Councilor for the Environment Enrique Nogués also attended the session.

Dr Abraham Esteve-Núñez, associate researcher at IMDEA Agua, explained the research carried out by the Bioe Group focused on sustainable purification and monitoring of water quality, based on microbial electrochemical technologies (MET). These contributions, which respond to circular economy strategies, allow comprehensive water management through a system that maximizes the use of wastewater, and minimizes both its discharge into a treatment plant and the consumption of drinking water.

The patented metland® technology offers a purification system based on microbial electrochemistry. Attendees were able to learn about this innovation at the IMDEA Agua facilities, where the centre’s wastewater is treated without external energy input, and with a quality that can be reused. The system is being implemented in different places around the world, through METfilter, the company created by the IMDEA Water Institute and the CENTA Foundation in September 2014.