New #UT3-WOLL on the UT3 Campus to epurate domestic waste waters and to prove the concept of enhanced biodiversity

On 19^th January, the new #UT3-WOLL was launched with success on the Campus of the University of Toulouse 3. Were invited Marie Pierre Gleyses as Dean of Scientific group of neOCampus, Jocelyn MERE as CNRS regional dean, Georges ZISSI (Vice President for Europ and international projects), Thierry PAPRA VP for partnership with compagnies, Catherine JANDEL (dean of the Observatoire Midi Pyrénees), Claire Albasi (dean of the Challenge programme Water for Occitania), José-Miguel SANCHEZ PEREZ (dean of the scientific group of water at Toulouse), Amandine CARRIERE from the Fondation Catalyse, Julie GEHENIAUX from AKKODIS, Milène HACHE from the Aqua Valley public private network, Guillaume CHOISY (dean of the Water Agency of Garonne watershed), David MACQUARD from the CEEBIO, Julie DUCROS from Toulouse Metropole, Regis CEREGUINO from the research Unit “Laboratory of Functional Ecology and Environment”, Didier ORANGE from the research Unit Eco&Sols, TRAN Dinh Trinh (Deputy Director of the Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials at the Vietnamese National University), Sabine SAUVAGE for the new research team BIOECO, etc.

The construction of #UT3-WOLL has been financed by Interreg SUDOE Tr@nsnet Project, and #UT3-WOLL will be implemented through the research project BioROC, coordinated by Prof. Magali Gerino, funded by Défi Clé Eau Occitanie (Water for Occitania). The partners are: LEFE, LGC, G-EAU, IMFT, Eco&Sols, IRIT for research activities, and Epur-Aqua, CEEBIOS, AKKODIS for dissemination.

Two PhDs are applied on this new demonstrator.

This event was the opportunity to introduce these 2 PhDs, to call for more cooperations, and to make some exhibitions: planting the typha into the filters, connecting the humidity and temperature sensors to the local neOCampus WIFI and LoRaWAN networks and collecting the data on our computers, comparing the infiltration rates with increased biodiversity. And the relationship with #INOWASIA was exposed.

This demonstration day has initiated new cooperation with the research unit #LAPLACE (Plasma and energy changes laboratory) , with teachers of the University of Pharmacie of Toulouse, with the research unit LGC (Chemical engineering), #INRAe, … The connexon of the INOWASIA WOLL network to the already functional e-connect (1) data base for an easy doing implementation was suggested. The e-connect with connected protected areas network as INOWASIA WOLL networks may get beneficial to join their forces for the demonstration of the need for connectivity and innovative tools for water savings.

The objectives of BioROC (2) :

• BioROC aims to improve knowledge on the influence of biofilm in a bio-inspired Reuse sector based on Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) and intended for irrigation.
• This project will contribute to the adoption of innovative practices from the Water Oriented Living Labs of Toulouse Métropole and Montpellier Métropole Méditerranée. The challenge is to test a panel of #NBS (+/- biodiversity increased by invertebrates) and various levels of treatment (+/- tertiary treatment) to identify the methods best suited to reuse according to the irrigation systems.
• The challenges to be solved are the clogging of filters and the fouling of drip ferti-irrigation systems by microbial biofilm. The quality of the biofilm and its dynamics will be described throughout the sector thanks to sensors, metagenomics and mathematical modelling.
• These results will make it possible to identify the levers of action to control the dynamics of the biofilm in micro-irrigation systems.

This project is also a first step in structuring a research community within INOWASIA WOLL. #INOWASIA should take advantage of this opportunity to develop research synergies on waste water treatment issues by soft and low cost natural based solutions #NBS.  

Best wishes 2023 for the future INOWASIA WOLL network !

(1) https://www.univ-tlse2.fr/accueil/universite/en-bref

(2) https://woc.edu.umontpellier.fr/organisation-des-projets-defi-cle-water-occitanie/projets-structurants-defi-cle-water-occitanie/