 |
A new steel structure is taking shape near the banks of the Cauca River and with it the hope that this prototype and its technology can help guarantee a year-round water supply to the inhabitants of Cali, Colombia.
During a visit to the construction site at the EMCALI EICE ESP drinking-water treatment plant at Puerto Mallarino, Cali, Colombia, on September 16, the team at the Cinara Institute and the School of Civil and Geomatics Engineering of the Faculty of Engineering of the Universidad del Valle (Univalle), explained that this is the first time this technology has been deployed in Colombia and South America.
Researchers who studied and adapted the technology to Colombian conditions say that the main idea is to build a well, which descends to a depth of 30 meters and after this, grooved pipes are installed radiating out towards the river. Thus the water passes from under the river, where the water would be less polluted than the surface water.
Jorge Ospinal, head of the Aqueduct and Sewerage Audit Unit of the Municipal Companies of Cali (EMCALI, for its initials in Spanish), explained that, as EMCALI is in charge of providing public services including water to the city, they have a deep interest in technology that can guarantee the continuity of water supplies in a changing world.
"For us, it is a satisfaction that we are bringing this precious liquid to the population of Cali," Ospinal said.
“Now, when there are floods, there is a lot of garbage and other obstacles that sometimes force us to stop the treatment plants temporarily... The big advantage is that during times of very hard rains, the riverbed is not going to be affected,” he explained.
Under the trees that shade the prototype construction site (which has a completion date of the end of 2022), Quiroga explained that the cost of water treatment costs are very high.
"When the rainy season comes, when the water gets very silty, the plant has to shut down, it cannot work, because it is not suitable to process water in these conditions," he said, adding that the new option is aimed at capturing water of a much higher quality.
“Finally, the city of Cali can tackle the problems we had for many years: water shortages in summer and the same in winter due to problems. turbidity,” Professor Luis Darío Sánchez, project leader for the Cinara Institute.
The project is developed by EMCALI EICE-ESP, through the Puerto Mallarino 2020 Radial Well Consortium, the Universidad del Valle-Faculty of Engineering, through the Cinara Institute and the School of Civil and Geomatic Engineering, developed the research and design of the first test module.
Professor Quiroga indicated that Maurice Armitage, mayor of Cali between 2016 and 2019, paid attention to the issue in a visit made jointly with the General Manager and the Manager of Aqueduct and Sewerage of EMCALI to the facilities that used this technology in Louisville, Kentucky in the United States.
During this trip, the mayor commented to Quiroga, "This is the one!" In addition, the pilot project attracted funding and the government assured its support.
“We have another international project on water security and sustainable development,” Professor Sánchez said.
Researchers from Univalle and the University of Cauca became part of the global project on Water Security and Sustainable Development, GCRF, supported by United Kingdom Research and Innovation (UKRI), which has as its central objective unlocking systemic barriers to achieving water security in practice.
"This project has the participation of universities from Malaysia, India, Ethiopia and the United Kingdom, from the universities of Newcastle, Leeds and Oxford," Quiroga says, explaining that collaborations between countries in the Global South are key for the world achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Banner photo: The research team. Credit: Andrew James (NCC-Univalle).
Researchers who studied and adapted the technology to Colombian conditions say that the main idea is to build a well, which descends to a depth of 30 meters and after this, grooved pipes are installed radiating out towards the river. Thus the water passes from under the river, where the water would be less polluted than the surface water.
Emcali y Seguridad Hídrica
Colombia's Ministry of the Environment has warned that more than 50 percent of Colombia’s territory is likely to experience dramatic changes in its access to water, including floods, droughts and other natural disasters. Even though Colombia is one of the nine most water-rich territories in the world, a third of its urban population lives under water stress and smart investments in water security are needed to create jobs and improve the health of vulnerable populations, according to a World Bank report.Jorge Ospinal, head of the Aqueduct and Sewerage Audit Unit of the Municipal Companies of Cali (EMCALI, for its initials in Spanish), explained that, as EMCALI is in charge of providing public services including water to the city, they have a deep interest in technology that can guarantee the continuity of water supplies in a changing world.
"For us, it is a satisfaction that we are bringing this precious liquid to the population of Cali," Ospinal said.
“Now, when there are floods, there is a lot of garbage and other obstacles that sometimes force us to stop the treatment plants temporarily... The big advantage is that during times of very hard rains, the riverbed is not going to be affected,” he explained.
Under the trees that shade the prototype construction site (which has a completion date of the end of 2022), Quiroga explained that the cost of water treatment costs are very high.
"When the rainy season comes, when the water gets very silty, the plant has to shut down, it cannot work, because it is not suitable to process water in these conditions," he said, adding that the new option is aimed at capturing water of a much higher quality.
“Finally, the city of Cali can tackle the problems we had for many years: water shortages in summer and the same in winter due to problems. turbidity,” Professor Luis Darío Sánchez, project leader for the Cinara Institute.
The project is developed by EMCALI EICE-ESP, through the Puerto Mallarino 2020 Radial Well Consortium, the Universidad del Valle-Faculty of Engineering, through the Cinara Institute and the School of Civil and Geomatic Engineering, developed the research and design of the first test module.
 |
| The construction site in Puerto Mallarino, Valle de Cauca, September 16, 2021. Credit: Andrew James (NCC-Univalle). |
A Long Journey
The Cinara Institute and its water supply research group spent more than ten years saying that this technology can offer solutions, but they felt there was not much real interest from local authorities.Professor Quiroga indicated that Maurice Armitage, mayor of Cali between 2016 and 2019, paid attention to the issue in a visit made jointly with the General Manager and the Manager of Aqueduct and Sewerage of EMCALI to the facilities that used this technology in Louisville, Kentucky in the United States.
During this trip, the mayor commented to Quiroga, "This is the one!" In addition, the pilot project attracted funding and the government assured its support.
 |
| Foto: Site visit to Puerto Mallarino, Cali. Crédito: Andrew James (NCC-Univalle). |
Water Safety
The project to improve water security in Cali is just one of Cinara Institute’s projects that focus on water security.“We have another international project on water security and sustainable development,” Professor Sánchez said.
Researchers from Univalle and the University of Cauca became part of the global project on Water Security and Sustainable Development, GCRF, supported by United Kingdom Research and Innovation (UKRI), which has as its central objective unlocking systemic barriers to achieving water security in practice.
"This project has the participation of universities from Malaysia, India, Ethiopia and the United Kingdom, from the universities of Newcastle, Leeds and Oxford," Quiroga says, explaining that collaborations between countries in the Global South are key for the world achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Banner photo: The research team. Credit: Andrew James (NCC-Univalle).
Comentarios
Publicar un comentario