GWR Project Launch

The GWR (Greywater Treatment and Reuse) Project team, made up of researchers from the University of Santiago de Chile (Usach) and the Universities Andrés Bello and Bío-Bío, met to officially launch the initiative, which aims to reduce domestic water consumption and optimize its reuse, while generating thermal and acoustic insulation solutions in the home.

The project hopes to respond to the challenge imposed by climate change, the consequences of which are evident in the drought that affects 72% of the country and has lasted for more than a decade, reducing the availability of water.

"Household consumption represents 12% and is expected to continue increasing, while water availability is decreasing, with an estimated decrease in rainfall of up to 40% by 2050, so it is urgent to develop scientific and technological solutions that respond to this water shortage," says Dr. Esteban Quijada, director of the "Greywater Treatment and Reuse - GWR" team, an initiative funded by the Anillo Project - ANID ATE220224.

In the case of this project, the total reuse of graywater (discharges from sinks, showers, bathtubs and washing machines or dishwashers, without fecal contamination) for different domestic purposes is proposed, 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 and space-saving solution for the treatment and reuse of graywater in homes", which will be implemented on a real scale in the Techno House, installed in the Laguna Carén Technology Park.
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, which are proven and efficient solutions for thermal and acoustic insulation, as well as the reduction of the urban heat island effect", explains Dr. Ricardo Abejón, co-director of the project.

In order to achieve the proposed objectives, the development work has been formulated considering four multidisciplinary research teams: Membrane Materials and Processes (MatPro), Electrochemical Graywater Treatment (EChem), Household Greywater Treatment Systems (HSys) and Life Cycle Assessment and Environmental Impact (LCA&EI).