25 – 26 June 2019, Beirut, Lebanon

Expert Group Meeting on “Enhancing capacity building addressing Water

and Energy interlinkages for Sustainable Development in the Arab Region”

Faissal AZIZ

Cadi Ayyad University

Morocco

Title :

«Assessment of wastewater treatment technologies and promotion of smart

irrigation systems in the MENA Region using an eco-friendly gum

[MENARA]»

Thematic: Efficient water management, particularly in the agricultural sector

Period : 2019-2021

Budget : 300 K Euro

MENARA ProjectFunding from DUPC2

Research for development proposals led by institutes from developing countries

Project partners

-Dr. Ghadeer Arafeh-Pr. Rashed M.Y. Al-Sa'ed

-Pr. Faissal AZIZ-Pr. MANDI Laila

-Pr. Ouazzani Naaila

-Pr. Amine Elleuch-Dr.Zayneb Chaabene

-Pr. Peter van der Steen -Robert JohnsonNGO

Wastewater treatment facilities in Morocco and Palestine serve solely residential communities, and

lack design considerations for the treatment of industrial wastewater discharges.

Nablus WWTP

Tanger WWTP

Problematic

Local municipalities connect the industrial discharges to public sewerage networks with ultimate

treatment in central wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs).

Marrakech (Morocco) WWTP

Parameters Unit Raw WW Treated WW Irrigation standards

pH 7,26 7.12 6,5-8,4

Conductivity mS/cm 4,445 1.500 12

Total dissolved salts mg/l 223 145 7680

Suspended matter mg/l 577,78±13,87 78 100-200

Total polyphenol mg/l 131±3,27 23,6 < 0.002

COD mg/l 610±54,2 87 100

BOD5 mg/l 810±1,47 15 30

Bicarbonate (HCO3) mg/l 17,55 10,23 8.5

Sulfate mg/l 232,61±33,99 73,4 250

Nitrates mg/l 0,22±0,047 0,15 30

Total phosphorus mg/l 10,19±0,48 4,22 5

Fecal coliform CFU/100ml 3,70.106 2500 1000

Chromium (CrVI) mg/l 7420 3150 1

• These current practices lead to negative impacts onWWTPs efficacy with associated environmental,economic and socio-political impacts.

• Considering water-energy-food nexus, climate change,water scarcity and limited access to available waterresources in the MENA region, use of reclaimed water foragricultural irrigation forms a core element within anintegrated water resources management.

Problematic

• How achieve sustainable WWTPs with safe reclaimedwater suitable for agricultural application is the main goalof this research project.

• A cutting-edge irrigation system using a hydroretentspolymer (HRP) , an eco-gum manufactured at benchscale, will be used for the removal of selective heavymetals and organic pollutants of industrial origin.

• We argue that HRP can help local municipalities findenvironmentally sound solutions to reduce organic andinorganic residues from reclaimed water.

Project description

The main objective of the proposed project is to :

-Assess the chemical/microbiological contamination and productivity

in the agricultural production chain under irrigation with different

kinds of reclaimed wastewater.

-Prepare hydroretents polymer (HRP) materials suitable for water

storage and micro pollutants adsorption during irrigation.

-Support a techno-economic optimization of wastewater treatment

lines and their management in order to produce treated wastewater

compatible with agriculture irrigation practices.

Objectives

Activities Year 2019 Year 2020 Year 2021 Responsibilities 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3

0 - Project Manegment BZU – Cadi Ayyad university, Tunisian partner and UNSECO-IHE

1 -Conducting two Desk Studies BZU – Cadi Ayyad university

2 -Training on how to develop and manufacture of polymer in laboratories

Tunisian Partner

Training capacity bulding UNSECO -IHE 3 -Pilot installation and laboratory optimization

BZU, Cadi Ayyad university Partner

4-Pot and mesocosm installation

BZU, Cadi Ayyad university and Tunisian Partner

5- Soil, leachate and groundwater characterization before and after irrigation with TW

BZU, Cadi Ayyad university Partner

6-Socioeconomic impact of TW reuse for irrigation (2 Case Studies)

BZU, Cadi Ayyad university

*Awareness campaigns BZU, Cadi Ayyad university *Questionnaire surveys BZU, Cadi Ayyad university 7-Dissemination of results BZU, Cadi Ayyad university

*Website and Intranet BZU, Cadi Ayyad university * Workshops and hold discussing sessions with related stakeholders

BZU, Cadi Ayyad university

*Communications to R&D polycimakers

BZU, Cadi Ayyad university

* Hold Conference Cadi Ayyad university & the Co -funder (UPM)

What is HRP?

• A hydroretents polymer (HRP) is a sandwich of hessian, polymers and paper. When placed at the root zone of plants, it ensures an efficientuse of water and nutrients.

• Biodegradable HRP reduce irrigationrequirements and improve the water availability in plant substrates / soils which leads to improved yields.

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What is HRP?

• Only 7 grams of polymers can absorb 1 litre of water turning it into gel. The plant roots grow into the gel and the HRP slowly releases water providing a water buffer for 2 to 3 weeks.

• HRP save water, labour and increase yields

Polymers

The HRPs that widely used in agriculture are mainly;

1- polyacrylate polymers.

2- polyacrylamide polymers.

Polyacrylates polymers are usually made with sodium and are more

environmentally friendly

Polyacrylamides polymers absorb only about 300 to 400 times its own

weight in water, use a variety of potassium molecules for crosslinking.

In agriculture Superabsorbent polymers are used in soil, as reservoir of

nutrients, and as water absorbent media. Properties of this material are

dependent on many factors, such as their chemical and compositional

characteristics, soil texture, plant species and also environmental factors.3

Typical cellulose-based SAP prepared via direct cross-linking of sodium carboxymethyl cellulose

(CMC; R= H, COO-Na+) or hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC; R= H, CH2CH2OH)

HRP for potted Production(Vegetable and Nursery Sector)

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Using HRP for wind erosion control

HRP used for tree plantation

under the wind erosion control

• Locally produced eco-gum can improve the quality of reclaimed water and

increase agricultural productivity while reducing pollution loads to receiving

environment and public health;

• Policy makers can integrate research results into national reuse guidelines

through adoption of smart post-treatment technologies aiming at reducing

the potential impacts and fate of inorganic and organic residues of industrial

origins; eco-gum can adsorbed selective heavy metals otherwise reducing

agricultural productivity and causing soil degradation

SOLUTIONS/CONTRIBUTION TO WATER SCARCITY DEBATE

• Tailor-made training for farmers, school farms, NGOs,

agricultural engineers, and policy makers on smart

irrigation systems, sources and fate of potential

pollutants of various origins can increase awareness

raising, acceptance and improve technical skills of local

communities in the MENA region

• Research findings are applicable and relevant outside our

case study to other countries in MENA region conditional

that eco-gum is feasible to produce considering socio-

economic context and cost-effectiveness at local market

SOLUTIONS/CONTRIBUTION TO WATER SCARCITY DEBATE

• The intellectual merit of the proposed research envisagethe following outcomes: Technical and decision supportto policy makers and local communities towards techno-economic optimization of wastewater treatmentfacilities.

• This shall narrow the knowledge gab and improveprofession skills to sustain operational management ofsanitation services. Considering socio-economicconditions, acceptance and optimized water and landmanagement are core issues behind efficient water usefor agricultural production.

Development outcomes

• Scale-up of best synthesis recipes from bench-scale topilot and large-scale production based on well definedparameters gathered through extensive molecular andmacroscopic level characterization of the preparedhydrogels.

Development outcomes

• Establishment of Research and Technical Development (R&D) group to create new knowledge regarding scientific and technological topics for the purpose of uncovering and enabling development of new products, processes, and services.

Development outcomes

Thanks!

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faissalaziz@gmail.com/ faziz@kth.se