Supporting tools for the integrated management of drinking water reservoirs contaminated by Cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins
Partners
POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF MARCHE
NIVA
UPPSALA UNIVERSITY
Abstract
Cyanobacteria, known as blue-green algae, under favourable environmental conditions, can quickly multiply and form blooms in water and release toxic secondary metabolites during their senescence and death. The presence of toxins from Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) in drinking water reservoirs may represent serious health risks for the human population. It is necessary to plan effective strategies of risk assessment and management considering all the possible routes of exposure for the human populations.
The BLOOWATER project proposes innovative technological solutions aim to develop a low cost methodological approach based on the integration of monitoring techniques and treatment of drinking water affected by toxic blooms. In particular the project intends: to define diagnostics protocols integrating of innovative techniques for water monitoring, aimed to creating forecasting models and systems of surveillance and early warning of toxic blooms to perform immediate actions; to develop and implement methods to treat raw water with more efficient processes. A planned process and a Decision Support System (DSS) devoted to provide information on the results of the project programmes to key actors will be developed.
Project Structure:
►WP1.MONITORING SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT
► WP1.1 Implementation of Cyanobacteria monitoring system
► WP1.2 Data Collection of Cyano-HABs
► WP1.3 Design of a Digital Database WP2. DEVELOPMENT OF BLOOM FORECASTS
► WP2.1 Testing of mechanistic water quality models for predicting cyanobacterial blooms
► WP2.2 Testing of alternative methods of predicting cyanobacterial blooms based on machine learning algorithms
► WP2.3 Developing model workflows WP3. TREATMENT PROCESS COMPARISON
► WP3.1 Definition of specific technological treatment solutions functional to the different scenarios
► WP3.2 Bench Scale Testing of Polymer Enhanced Utra Filtration (PEUF) and reference technology
► WP3.3 Processes design WP4. DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT
► WP4.1 Country data acquisition
► WP4.2 Realization of a database on the drinking water management
► WP4.3 Realization of a GIS and data normalization
► WP4.4 Decision Support System Development
► WP5. PROJECT MANAGEMENT
► WP5.1 Reporting
► WP5.2 Quality management
► WP5.3 Document management
► WP5.4 Budget management
Outcomes and expected impact:
New methods for improved drinking water quality production. The technologies, tools and strategies developed during the project will contribute to spread of safely managed drinking water services for all (SDG6), improved integrated water management (SDG6) and strengthen resilience to climate related-hazards like algal blooms (SDG13). The project will also impact on SDG1, SDG3, SDG9, SDG17 (social benefits). Innovation and development of tailored monitoring and predictions tools, and treatment solutions for algal bloom waters. Development of new partnerships with SME.