- The project proposes to reuse gray water in the irrigation of green walls and roofs, among other purposes, improving water management and obtaining benefits in thermal and acoustic insulation of homes.
- A pilot house is already being installed to study and exhibit these solutions on a real scale at the Technological Center for Innovation in Construction (CTEC) located in Laguna Carén.
María Laura Martínez, Journalist.- The team of Project Greywater Reuse (GWR)made up of seven researchers from the universities of Santiago (5), Andrés Bello (1) and Bío-Bío (1), met to give the official start to the initiative aimed at reducing household water consumption and optimizing its reuse , simultaneously generating thermal and acoustic insulation solutions in the home.
The project seeks to respond to the challenge imposed by climate change, whose consequences are evident in the drought that affects 72% of the country and that persists for more than a decade, reducing the availability of water.
“Water consumption at the household level represents 12% and it is projected that it will continue to increase, while the availability of water is declining, with an estimated decrease in rainfall of up to 40% by the year 2050, so it is urgent generate scientific-technological solutions that respond to this water shortage”, points out the Dr. Esteban Quijada, director of the GWR Project team, initiative financed by the Anillo Project of ANID (National Agency for Research and Development).
In the case of this project, the reuse of gray water (discharges from sinks, showers, bathtubs and washing machines or dishwashers, without fecal contamination) is proposed for different domestic purposes, coordinating the integration of membrane and electrochemical technologies in the design of decentralized and effective water treatment systems.
According to Dr. Quijada, “this integration of technologies represents a technically feasible, economical solution that requires little space in homes for the treatment and reuse of gray water,” which will be implemented on a real scale in Casa Tecno, a model that will allow to evaluate and exhibit the proposed integrated technologies.
technological integration
Among the innovations of this technological integration, is the reuse of gray water “as a sustainable alternative in the irrigation of roofs and green walls, among other uses, which represent proven and efficient solutions for the thermal and acoustic insulation of homes” , explains the Dr. Julio Romero, project researcher.
Dr. Romero points out that “this project aims to develop integrated solutions to reuse gray water, which represents about 65% of the water disposed of from homes.” For this, he maintains that it is necessary to establish integrated technological solutions, “taking into account an understanding of the management of water resources at the national level, and thus come to establish in the future public policies that allow considering the water footprint as a fundamental indicator developmental”.
“Since ancient times, human development has been based on proper management of water resources, considering how the natural water cycle is intervened. Today, our country and our planet are under an unprecedented risk situation, which implies serious economic, demographic and —above all— social effects”, indicates the researcher.
To achieve the proposed objectives, the development work has been formulated considering four multidisciplinary research teams: Membrane Materials and Processes (MatPro), Electrochemical Greywater Treatment (EChem), Domestic Greywater Treatment Systems (HSys) and Analysis of Life Cycle and Environmental Impact (LCA&EI).
The GWR Project team is made up of a majority of researchers: the Dr. Alejandra Torres, head of the MatPro team; the Dr. Roxana Arce, responsible for R&D in Electrochemical Gray Water Treatment (EChem); the Dr. Claudia Muñoz Sanguinettiin charge of R&D in Domestic Greywater Treatment Systems (HSys), and the Dr. Camila Burgosdedicated to the construction of sustainable social housing (Casa Tecno).
In the case of the researchers, in addition to the aforementioned Dr. Esteban Quijada and Dr. Julio Romero, the team is completed by Dr. Ricardo Abejónco-director of the project and in charge of R&D in the Life Cycle Analysis and Environmental Impact (LCA&EI).
sustainable social housing
Casa Tecno, intended to be a model of sustainable social housing, is already under construction in the Technological Center for Construction Innovation (CTEC)located in Laguna Carén, commune of Pudahuel.
Dr. Esteban Quijada explains that “Casa Tecno is a 55 m2 house2, which will have a kitchen, laundry room (loggia) and bathroom, fully equipped. Its main attraction is that the roof and some of the walls will have their surfaces covered by plant species, which will make it possible to generate a sustainable solution to achieve thermal and acoustic insulation”, he details.
The water necessary for the maintenance of the “green roofs and walls” will be obtained from the reuse of domestic gray water, through the implementation of a coupled process of electrochemistry and membranes. The academic highlights that the technology that will be installed in this pilot house “will demonstrate that it is possible to have technical solutions that are simple and accessible to install in practically all homes.”
Likewise, the Dr. Camila Burgosan expert in Architecture, Building and Urbanism Technology, comments that the Tecno House will be ready at the end of the year and “it can be visited by groups of school and university students, who will be able to learn about gray water recovery strategies and analyze the details of the project”.
