Water management in the food industry in AGROSFERA – LIFE VERTALIM

The AGROSFERA program of March 24, 2018, presented two examples of water management for recovery and savings in food production.

The circular economy is fundamental to recover everything that was previously thrown away. Four tuna canneries of Berriatua, that participate in the LIFE VERTALIM project, work reducing the pollution of their discharges, and recovering the fat for the obtaining of energy and the organic matter for fishmeal.

The companies participating in the project have made significant investments of between 100,000 and 150,000 euros for the installation of individual treatment plants for the wastewaters pre-treatment and thus be able to incorporate them into the existing urban sanitation network. These discharges receive the final treatment in the WWTP of Galtzuaran before its final disposal to the sea. In this way, in the last 2 years, the spills into the riverbed of Artibai as it passes through Berriatua have been eliminated.

To achieve this important challenge, it will be carried out through two main complementary strategies. First, through a tele-management system of the sanitation network to monitor in real time the discharges of the companies and the characteristics of the circulating water through the collector, as well as foresee in advance the problems that may arise. The second and most important tool, establishing a framework of open dialogue with companies that allows intelligent management of the network with coordinated downloads with all industrial users.