The DAM Chair’s initiative explains elementary students the operation of a WWTP, as well as the resources that can be recovered from wastewater and then assessed based on their value

“More than 300 students learned that concepts such as reuse, circular economy, recover, water and energy are part of the necessary tools to achieve environmental sustainability. We’re very happy to spread awareness among younger people, so that they understand the importance of transforming our system and creating a more sustainable world together”.

These are the thoughts of the people in charge of the DAM Chair for Integral Management and Resource Recovery of Wastewater: Laura Pastor and Alberto Bouzas, the results obtained during the first two years of the innovation project La Maleta del Agua’s development.

The initiative, promoted within the Chair, lasted throughout 2018 and 2019 and went through the whole Valencian province with the goal of transmitting primary students the importance of recovering the resources contained in wastewater.

“By means of learning and teaching workshops, we want younger people to learn about the operation of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), as well as the resources that can be recovered from wastewater for later assessment. It’s important that they get familiar with the new paradigms that will leave a mark on our society, such as circular economy and environmental sustainability”, indicates the Head of DAM’s R&D&I Laura Pastor.

In this regard, Alberto Bouzas takes advantage of the celebration of the World Environment Day to value the work that’s been done by the Chair.

“The Chair assembles a whole series of training, research and knowledge dissemination activities to transmit the great economic and environmental value of wastewater. We organise seminars, technical events, conferences, awards to the best research work or initiatives such as “La Maleta del Agua”, which were positively received from both professionals in the field and the general audience”, highlights the professor of the Universitat de València (UV) and director of the Chair.

La Maleta del Agua

La Maleta del Agua is a project featuring professors from the UV’s departments of Chemical Engineering and Developmental & Educational Psychology, UV’s OPEX technicians and technicians from DAM’s Department of R&D&I; as well as undergraduate, master’s degree and doctorate students in charge of giving training and awareness workshops.

The initiative started on the Chair’s first months of activity in 2018, and an agreement was established to carry out said project because of the social unawareness residing in the depuration field and, most of all, the possible uses of wastewater and the resources that can be obtained from it.

In 2020, La Maleta del Agua couldn’t start its journey due to the unexpected circumstances brought about by COVID 19, although its equipment is all set and it awaits the green light to tell children about the incredible world concealed behind wastewater.