FCh’s Escenarios Hídricos 2030 team was presented the award given by the Fundacion Desafio Circular (Circular Challenge Foundation) today, thanks to a pioneering initiative for the reuse of treated wastewater in rural areas in the Coquimbo region.
In a ceremony held at La Mesa restaurant this morning, the Leader of New Water Sources Initiatives at Fundacion Chile, Gerardo Diaz Moya, received the Circular Awards 2023 for the work that the FCh Water Scenarios 2030 team started in 2022 with the support of the Regional Government of Coquimbo, consisting of giving a new use to treated wastewater in rural communities in the municipalities of Illapel, Monte Patria, La Serena and Vicuña.
These areas are highly vulnerable to drought and climate change and have experienced water shortages in recent years, which have thus made them dependent on the supply of water from water trucks and also impacting the development of productive activities.
The innovation consists of the joint construction of specific solutions for each problem identified in the localities, prioritizing those systems and tools that are simple and easy to operate and maintain by the communities. Some are “Nature-based Solutions,” such as wetlands, which improve water quality through their natural filtering processes.
“Through these water reuse projects, we transform water challenges into opportunities for progress, directly impacting on improving the quality of life in water-vulnerable rural communities. These initiatives are tangible examples of resilience and cooperation, a bold step towards rural water sustainability, which we hope will be an example for weaving a sustainable future in our country,” said Gerardo Diaz Moya.
For his part, the general manager of Fundacion Chile, Hernán Araneda, highlighted the consistent work that the Escenarios Hídricos 2030 initiative has been carrying out since 2016 to date seeking to progress towards a water transition in the face of the challenges imposed by climate change. “Our purpose as Fundacion Chile is to achieve water security and sustainability for the country by 2050, always joining common wills and coordinating them to drive public policies in line with the challenge. This award for the search for new water sources carried out by Fundacion Chile’s Escenarios Hídricos team with the support of the Regional Government of Coquimbo, is a confirmation that working together produces consistent progress towards the 2050 goal,” he said.
Social impact
The project delivers tangible social, economic and environmental benefits by reusing wastewater and reducing dependence on the resource. It improves people’s quality of life thanks to its impact on odor reduction, strengthens community identity around the landscape by irrigating private and common spaces with reused water, and provides resilience to climate change and water self-sufficiency. This is achieved through systems that are easy to operate and maintain, as well as virtuous, sustainable business models that boost the local economy.
Escenarios Hídricos 2030 will continue to contribute to materialize this type of initiatives in the country. Specifically, rural projects that propose water reuse will be some of the flagship initiatives expected to materialize in the Maipo River basin within the framework of the Resilient Maipo River program led by the Government of Santiago.
The Award
Circular Awards are presented by Fundacion Desafio Circular, which works towards promoting the circular economy in Chile through areas such as education, research and entrepreneurship. Their purpose is to produce knowledge and promote technologies and innovations that benefit the entire community, including civil organizations and public and private institutions
On this occasion, the 2023 award was sponsored by ENEL, a company approached by Fundacion Desafio Circular in view of its commitment to innovation and sustainability. The Water Category called for reducing water use, fostering efficient water use, using alternative water sources, promoting collaboration and contributing to Chile’s development.
Five Reuse Systems
In the town of Plan de Hornos (Illapel), technified irrigation of green areas was enabled by replacing potable water with reused water. In the towns of Huatulame (Monte Patria) and Lambert (La Serena), artificial wetlands were built to receive effluents from the local water treatment system, improving wastewater quality and minimizing odor emissions which impact the community. In Punta Azul (Vicuña), the project developed a business model between the Rural Sanitation Service and a producer of native ornamental plants. In Marquesa (Vicuña), the ravine wall was reinforced to prevent damage to the sanitary infrastructure due to flooding.