Mar Menor: innovative technology will be applied to denitrify the water

The Community of the Region of Murcia and the Ministry of Science have recently agreed to work on the development of an innovative technology that will allow denitrify the water that is being harmful to the Mar Menor.

The Autonomous Community, through the Ministry of the Environment, Universities, Research and Mar Menor, and the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, through the Center for Technological Development and Innovation (CDTI), have decided to join their efforts in a joint project that develops a “innovative and technological solution” to reduce the impact of brackish water loaded with nutrients that flows into the Mar Menor.

This project has the objective of acting in the waters from the Albujón Rambla and the Quaternary aquifertwo input sources agua loaded with nutrients that significantly affect this unique ecosystem and its ecological state.

Councilor Juan María Vázquez referred today to the start of work on the project, which “represents a significant step in the biggest disturbance that the Mar Menor currently hastaking advantage of technological innovation and collaboration between administrations, to offer long-term sustainable solutions.”

Cutting-edge technologies to clean the water of the Mar Menor

To start this project, the CDTI will launch an Innovative Public Procurement process, a strategic tool through which public administrations explore and acquire innovative solutions that do not yet exist in the market and that require prior research and development.

In this way, the needs are transferred to technological companies and national and international research centers to encourage the development of advanced technologies that respond to specific challengesin this case, the denitrification of the waters that flow into the Mar Menor, both superficially and underground.

As part of the process, a preliminary market consultation will be carried out that will allow the identification and evaluation of available and emerging technologies in the field of denitrification and water treatment with high nutrient content, which would eventually allow it to be extended to other areas of action.

This query will provide key information to select the solution with maximum technological solvency and more appropriate, in order to improve water quality and reduce the environmental impact on the ecosystem.

If the objectives that have been set are met, the technology that is developed could be applied not only in the Mar Menorbut it would be suitable for denitrifying any type of water mass affected by these substances.