Hydrousa
HYDROUSA (Demonstration of Water Loops with innovative Regenerative Business models for Mediterranean Region) is a project designed under the call CIRC-02-2016-2017 Water in the context of the circular economy (Grant Agreement No. 776643). HYDROUSA aims to provide innovative solutions for Mediterranean islands in terms of water/wastewater treatment and management, which will close the water loops and will also boost their agricultural and energy profile. HYDROUSA goes beyond the current water and wastewater management practices by adopting innovative, nature-based water management solutions for different types of water characterised by low energy footprint. Clear water loops will be demonstrated, recovering added value products, while integrating and interacting with the local market. These technologies will be demonstrated at six demonstration sites at full scale in three Mediterranean islands (Lesvos, Mykonos and Tinos) whereas the transferability of HYDROUSA solutions will be assessed in 25 early adopter cases in Mediterranean coastal areas and islands and at several water-stressed rural or peri-urban non-Mediterranean areas.
The additional services that will be provided with the innovative approaches will lead to a win-win situation for the economy, the environment, and the community. Comprehensive business models will be developed to demonstrate the economic viability of the aforementioned technologies and services as well as the resulting economic benefits from the recovered materials and energy. HYDROUSA will not only develop and demonstrate innovative water services, but will revolutionise the water value chains in Mediterranean areas from water use up to sewage treatment and reuse. It will change the human water cycle by valorising non-conventional water resources, which are currently not being exploited. The consortium of the HYDROUSA project consists of 27 high competent organisations involved in water management, agricultural activities, ICT and, business/marketing, dissemination/ communication spanning throughout the whole water supply chain. The project is led and coordinated by National Technical University of Athens, (NTUA).

IRIDRA is partner of HYDROUSA, principally following the design and monitoring of nature-based solutions for treatment and reuse of wastewater, which is aimed to be reused for fertigation of an agroforestry system and limiting the amount of fresh water and fertilisers required for food production.
For more details: www.hydrousa.org
The HYDROUSA project and its partners, Iridra and AERIS Tecnologias Ambientales SL. HYDRO-1 got the Environmental Technology Verification (ETV).
Environmental technologies for water treatment and reuse that qualify for the ETV program are such products that are ready to market or finishing pre-commercial development, with performance claims not covered by existing regulations and standards.
Composed by an anaerobic reactor (designed by AERIS Tecnologias Ambientales SL) and the combination of saturated and unsaturated subsurface flow treatment wetlands (NBS designed by Iridra), HYDRO-1 got ETV certification for the treatment and reuse of municipal wastewater in agriculture for fertigation, with particular attention to the capability to manage the touristic fluctuation of load during the year. HYDRO-1 is certified for Class A standards of effluent water quality of EU Regulation 2020/741 in terms of TSS, BOD5, and Turbidity, as well as biogas, water and nutrient recovery in line with Water-Food-Energy nexus principles of circulareconomy.
