Both projects, result of the agreement between the Regional Ministry and the Universitat, are focused on approving officially protocols that allow to validate the COVID-19 detection processes and to make progress on the early detection and on the study of water-treatment plants to implement reuse and circular economy measures. 

The principal of the UV, M.ªVicenta Mestre, and the councillor, Mireia Mollà, have chaired a follow-up meeting of the joint projects in the building where the principal's office is located. The reports "Epidemiological surveillance of COVID-19 in sewage" and "Analysis of Sewage Treatment Capability in the Metropolitan area of Valencia" are focused on the progress of COVID-19 epidemiological surveillance methodology and on the study of water-treatment plants to design measures aimed at applying circular economy principles on the water's entire process, respectively.

The project "Epidemiological surveillance of COVID-19 in sewage" has been submitted by researchers Pilar Domingo-Calap and Rafael Sanjuán, from the Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio). The research carries out three weekly samples in Pinedo 1 and 2 and Quart-Benàger sewage plants, which collect sewage from a million inhabitants, on which PCR detection methodology of the genetic material is applied. "The objective is to count on a homogeneous indicators system that, according to the wastewater indicators, is able to detect in which area, municipality or district there are more positive cases and allows to active an action protocol developed along with the Department of Health", explains.

Domingo has pointed out that "further research is needed to analyse whether this project, besides surveillance, also serves as an early warning and, therefore, as a faster tool to detect new outbreaks or even a possible community transmission of SARS-CoV-2".

The water economics professor attached to the Inter-university Institute for Local Development (IIDL) of the Universitat de València and to the group of which he is the main researcher, the Water Economics Group (GEA), Francesc Hernández, has submitted the report "Analysis of Sewage Treatment Capability in the Metropolitan area of Valencia". The report underlines that the transformation of the current water-treatment plants in optimization facilities of the water resources is needed to make their design suitable for a changing reality and that allows them to adapt themselves to the flow volume, weather and demographic forecasts".

According to professor Hernández, the research highlights "the importance of the efficiency on treatment and reusable of sewage processes as a safe and viable way to increase water supply and to reduce, therefore, the pressure on water resources already overexploited".

"The operation system of a water-treatment plant is not only essential for the society's well-being, but also for the maintenance of the ecosystems; one should not be short-sighted since inefficiency is not neutral, it has costs. For all these reasons, circular economy is clearly the new role model", says the water economics professor.

The principal, M.ª Vicenta Mestre, has expressed her gratitude to the Regional Ministry for its involvement and support in the projects, stressing that "investing in public university is investing in society, because it is, at the end of the day, a service to society". "Both projects encourage a vital aspect in crises, as the current health crisis due to the coronavirus and the climate emergency: precaution, because it is really hard to be able to fight these problems without it", emphasises Mestre.

The councillor, Mireia Mollà, for her part, has pointed out the need to promote research and applied science programmes; a commitment with the scientific progress that the health crisis has proved to be indispensable". Mollà has also asserted that "both projects make a call for anticipation of scientifically based estimates, calculations and forecasts in order to anticipate and adapt to the crises scenarios and reduce their impact".  She highlights that "the circular economy applied to the water's entire process is one of the main challenges that the Regional Ministry has to face in matters of water".