The wastewater treatment plants in Bétera and Náquera-Bonanza are entering a new phase in their management, focused on modernizing their operation, reducing consumption, and making better use of the resources involved in the treatment process. The Valencian Community's Public Entity for Wastewater Treatment (EPSAR) has awarded the contract to Facsa for €3.8 million.
The contract will allow for the incorporation of new tools to advance towards increasingly intelligent management with a focus on prevention. In this regard, the use of artificial intelligence to anticipate the oxygen needs of the wastewater treatment process, with up to a 24-hour lead time, is particularly noteworthy. This capability will allow the plants' operation to be adapted to specific needs and reduce unnecessary consumption. In addition, equipment will be replaced with more efficient models, and the installed photovoltaic solar energy capacity will be expanded to increase the facilities' self-consumption of electricity.
But renovating a wastewater treatment plant isn't just about consuming less energy; it's also about making better use of the resources generated during water treatment. One of these resources is sludge, a material obtained by removing and concentrating the impurities present in wastewater, which still contains a large amount of water at the end of the process. To reduce this, Facsa will install a solar drying system that will allow some of that water to evaporate before the sludge is transported for composting and use in agriculture.
In this way, the material will weigh and take up less space, thus requiring fewer trips for transport. In total, the movement of more than 1,100 m³ of water currently trapped in the sludge will be avoided—an amount equivalent to almost half an Olympic-sized swimming pool. Furthermore, once treated, 100% of the sludge will be used for composting, harnessing its nutrients to give them a new purpose and return them to the soil.
Technology for everyday problems
Innovation will also provide a solution to one of the most well-known problems in sanitation networks: wet wipes. Although flushed down the toilet, these products do not disintegrate like paper and can accumulate in pipes, sewers, and pumping equipment, hindering their operation. Facsa will conduct a pioneering R&D study to explore new ways of valorizing this waste and find alternatives that will transform a sanitation problem into a usable resource. Alongside this research, advanced tools will be incorporated to monitor the condition of the sewers and gain a more precise understanding of the network's behavior.
This increased capacity for anticipation will extend to the daily operation of the facilities. Monitoring of pumping stations will be strengthened, and automated systems will be incorporated to improve air quality, especially during the summer months. In Bétera, further monitoring of the sewage network will be reinforced to better respond to periods of increased load and reduce their impact on the environment.
New job opportunities linked to the territory
This new phase will also involve the addition of professionals to the service. Facsa aims to leverage the start of the contract to attract talent from Bétera, Náquera, and other surrounding municipalities, with a particular focus on profiles related to the operation and maintenance of water facilities. This initiative seeks to strengthen the team while simultaneously creating local job opportunities. Interested professionals can submit their applications through the 'Careers' section of the Facsa corporate website. https://www.facsa.com/careers/.
With this contract, Facsa expands its operations in the province of Valencia and strengthens its presence in the Valencian Community, one of the company's key regions. Bétera and Náquera-Bonanza will thus incorporate a wastewater treatment concept that is gaining traction in the sector: facilities that, in addition to managing water, are moving towards a more active role in energy production, waste utilization, and resource recovery.
