Facsa and Sitra participated in META 2026, the 16th Spanish Water Treatment Congress, held from June 10-12 at the University of Murcia's Social Center. The event, organized by the META Network and the Water Technology group of the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Murcia, brought together professionals, companies, research centers, and universities to share advancements in water management and treatment.
In this edition, both companies presented various projects related to some of the sector's main challenges: the reuse of reclaimed water, water resource efficiency, nutrient recovery, and the valorization of waste from wastewater treatment. This participation reinforces their commitment to applied innovation and the development of solutions capable of responding to a context marked by water scarcity, the ecological transition, and the need to move towards more circular models.
Among the presentations, Isabel Tormos, from Facsa, outlined the progress of LIFE REWAINCER, an initiative proposing a new model for the use of reclaimed water in the ceramics industry. During her presentation, she showcased the pilot plant installed at the Cabanes wastewater treatment plant, designed to demonstrate the potential of reusing reclaimed water as a sustainable alternative for reducing water consumption in a sector of strategic importance to the region.
Also in the area of reuse, Sergio Fernández, from Facsa, presented the iRAIN project, focused on the intelligent management of reclaimed water for agricultural use. This initiative, developed in the Region of Murcia, combines new treatments to regenerate urban wastewater and recover nutrients with advanced monitoring tools and artificial intelligence. The goal is to optimize fertigation and improve real-time decision-making, contributing to more efficient water use in agriculture.
The valorization of waste and byproducts from water treatment also played a prominent role in Facsa's participation. Sergio Fernández Soriano presented the ENEDAR project, aimed at improving the sustainability of wastewater treatment plants through the combined valorization of sludge and co-substrates. His presentation addressed the integration of technologies such as anaerobic digestion, the use of iron nanoparticles, treatment wetlands, cost-effective biogas upgrading, and cogeneration, with the goal of moving towards more sustainable and energy self-sufficient wastewater treatment plants.
Alba Sifre, from Sitra, presented a paper on the application of vibrating membranes for treating the liquid fraction of anaerobic digestate. This technology allows for the concentration of nitrogen present in the digestate and advances the production of a value-added product, transforming waste into a usable resource. Specifically, it is a project (SERENA) with which a pi plant has been designed, built and operatedanaerobic digestion lotus, delving deeper into the recovery of nutrients from real organic waste.
In addition to the oral presentations, Facsa and Sitra have also been present at META 2026 with the exhibition of two technical posters linked to the FERTILAB and SYMSITES projects, both aimed at promoting innovative solutions for the sustainable management of water and the valorization of resources.
With their participation in this congress, Facsa and Sitra consolidate their role as active agents in the transfer of knowledge and in the development of technological solutions that allow progress towards a more efficient, circular and resilient water management.
