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4SM: Spread Sewer Sensing for Sustainable Management.

PROJECT OVERVIEW

The objective of 4SM is to create a new set of sensors and tools for advanced and sustainable management of sewage systems. 4SM will address four of the most important challenges for optimal sewerage management, such as i) promoting the digitalization process of sewerage networks, ii) improving the capabilities of current monitoring tools, iii) exploring resource recovery and sewer energy, and iv) develop highly innovative methods for corrosion, toxicity and odor control.

In general, 4SM contributes to maximizing the functioning of urban water systems in relation to i) reducing environmental impact, ii) warning against the risk of flooding, iii) the resilience of infrastructures to climate change, iv) efficient use of resources, and v) long-term management of infrastructure capital assets.

WORK PACKAGES

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WP1: 4SM DIGITAL PLATFORM DEVELOPMENT: WP1 aims to create an IoT digital platform to collect and visualize data generated in the experimental WP’s of the project. The platform will be able to carry out data mining and quality checks to ensure only relevant and meaningful data is considered and exchanged. It will also include an Application Programming Interface (API) for the extension and exploitation of the platform.

WP2: ENHANCED H2S STRIPPING UNITS FOR SULFUR RECOVERY: The main goal of WP2 is to design the stripping process unit and to determine the potential to remove sulfide and to recover added-value products from it.

WP3: CHEMICAL-FREE SULFIDE CONTROL IN SEWER: The aim of WP3 is to test a chemical-free ground-breaking method for sulfide control based on electrocatalytic systems and low-cost nanomaterials. Laboratory tests demonstrating the potential of these systems were performed in the framework of the ERC project Electron4water at ICRA. Within 4SM-WP3 we will confirm the obtained results by performing long term experiments at the upscaled sewer systems under environmentally realistic conditions

WP4: AUTONOMOUS DRONES FOR AUTOMATIC DATA RETRIEVAL AND INSPECTION: WP4 focuses on the conceptualization, implementation, and test of an aerial autonomous vehicle (drone) solution for automatic data gathering and device health monitoring for sensors installed on sewer networks

WP5: SMARTER SENSORS FOR WASTEWATER QUALITY CONTROL:The purpose of WP5 is to test wastewater quality sensors measuring pH, temperature, turbidity, chemical oxygen demand and ammonia to integrate them in the CSO detection device for the real-time monitoring of the CSO and spills in sewer systems. We will expose the sensors to the tough conditions encountered in sewers and improve their capabilities for reliable sewage quality parameters

WP6: ENERGY HARVEST FROM SEWERS: The aims of WP6 is to design a sewer-adapted pico-turbine to generate energy from flowing wastewater, and to develop a software application able to determine potentially suitable spots-cities to implement the pico-turbines

FIELD SITES

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Tossa de Mar: Municipal gardens irrigated with treated urban wastewater (tertiary treatment)
Colera: Vineyards irrigated with treated urban wastewater (tertiary treatment)
Lloret de Mar: Ornamental an edible-plants irrigated with NBS based treated greywater (hydroponic wetland)
Girona: Urban garden irrigated with NBS based treated greywater (wetwall)
Lesbos (Greece): Herbs irrigated with NBS based treated urban wastewater (UASB-wetland)

MESOCOSM STUDIES

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The hydroponic pilot plant was built in the ICRA PLANTEA platform to test edible plant synthetic and/or real greywater treatment and crop production. It is made up of several lines that can work in parallel, with distinct influent water, and sensors for temperature, humidity, and light intensity. The canals can be filled in with light expanded clay aggregates (LECA) as inert substratum and can host up to 8 plants per canal. The presence of air bubbling inside the canals is obtained by introducing air dissipators in the water phase, if needed.

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