ComeniusComeniusWater a vital elementWater a vital element

2nd. Meeting2nd. Meeting

Caltanissetta (Sicily)Caltanissetta (Sicily)

15th – 19th March 15th – 19th March

PresentationPresentation

• We are from... CalafWe are from... Calaf

• The importance of water in:The importance of water in:– IndustryIndustry– EconomyEconomy– AgricultureAgriculture– NavigationNavigation

• Use of fresh water or salt water.Use of fresh water or salt water.

We are from... CalafWe are from... Calaf

• Calaf is in the middle Calaf is in the middle of Catalonia. It is in a of Catalonia. It is in a district called Anoia district called Anoia and in the province of and in the province of Barcelona. It has Barcelona. It has aproximately 3500 aproximately 3500 inhabitants. It is inhabitants. It is about 680 metres on about 680 metres on the sea level. It has the sea level. It has got got MediterraneanMediterranean climate.climate.

Calaf

Barcelona

E b r e r i v e r

Our situation

The most important The most important monumentsmonuments• The belfry of Calaf The belfry of Calaf

is the third tallest in is the third tallest in Catalonia. Catalonia.

• The market of Calaf The market of Calaf is well-known in all is well-known in all the autonomous the autonomous communities. In the communities. In the past it was done on past it was done on Saturday mornings Saturday mornings in “Plaça gran” ->in “Plaça gran” ->

The economy of CalafThe economy of Calaf

• The economy in Calaf The economy in Calaf is based on the is based on the dryness agriculture, dryness agriculture, specially cereals.specially cereals.

• There are four main There are four main factories that make factories that make building material.building material.

• The market is The market is important, too, for the important, too, for the economy of the economy of the village. village.

Our schoolOur school

• Our school has Our school has aproximately 280 aproximately 280 students .students .

• These students are These students are from Calaf and other from Calaf and other villages like: Torà, villages like: Torà, Sant Martí, Prats, Sant Martí, Prats, Segur, la Molsosa...Segur, la Molsosa...

• In our school work In our school work 30 teachers. 30 teachers.

The importance of water The importance of water

• The use of water in Catalonia is distributed like The use of water in Catalonia is distributed like you can see in the graphic. The agriculture you can see in the graphic. The agriculture spends the 50 %, the second place is for the spends the 50 %, the second place is for the industry and finally there are the domestic and industry and finally there are the domestic and urban uses. urban uses.

The water in Catalonia and The water in Catalonia and SpainSpain• The most important river in The most important river in

Catalonia is the Ebro. Catalonia is the Ebro. • Other important rivers are Other important rivers are

Llobregat and Segre.Llobregat and Segre.• The bed’s river in Catalonia The bed’s river in Catalonia

and Spain is unconstant.and Spain is unconstant.• The use of dams is a The use of dams is a

constant source of water in constant source of water in Catalonia and Spain.Catalonia and Spain.

• There are importants dams There are importants dams in Catalonia like Sau, in Catalonia like Sau, Siurana or Oliana.Siurana or Oliana.

This is the map of the main rivers and dams in Catalonia.

Universal exposition of Universal exposition of ZaragozaZaragoza20092009

Tower of water Ebro river in Zaragoza

The importance of water in The importance of water in industryindustry• The water is very The water is very

important in Anoia important in Anoia district for the district for the industry.industry.

• The most important The most important industries of this area industries of this area are textile, leather and are textile, leather and manufacture of paper.manufacture of paper.

• We can see in this We can see in this photo the canal of photo the canal of water in Igualada. This water in Igualada. This canal distributed the canal distributed the water through different water through different factories of leather. factories of leather.

The importance of water in The importance of water in industryindustry• The ancient factories were The ancient factories were

built near the river and this built near the river and this activity polluted a lot.activity polluted a lot.

• Now some of these Now some of these factories are closed for the factories are closed for the crisis of textile industry crisis of textile industry and the new factories try and the new factories try to pollute less.to pollute less.

• Now there are Now there are new new projects to clean the Anoia projects to clean the Anoia river.river.

• We can see at this photo We can see at this photo the leather museum in the leather museum in Igualada.Igualada.

The importance of water in The importance of water in economyeconomy• Spain is one of the most Spain is one of the most

important turistic places in important turistic places in the world.the world.

• A lot of the villages in A lot of the villages in Catalonia coast have an Catalonia coast have an important turistic industry.important turistic industry.

• The turistic activity The turistic activity increases the use of water: increases the use of water: these villages increase these villages increase their inhabitants in their inhabitants in summer and there are a lot summer and there are a lot of leisure activities that of leisure activities that need water.need water.

• The dams are used in The dams are used in Spain for hydroelectric Spain for hydroelectric power station.power station.

The importance of water in The importance of water in agricultureagriculture• In the area of Calaf In the area of Calaf

the dry agriculture is the dry agriculture is very important.very important.

• In other parts of In other parts of Catalonia and Spain Catalonia and Spain there are irrigation there are irrigation agriculture, too.agriculture, too.

• All of these activities All of these activities spend a lot of water.spend a lot of water.

• Now there are new Now there are new systems of irrigation systems of irrigation to save water.to save water.

The importance of water in The importance of water in navigationnavigation• The rivers are unnavigable The rivers are unnavigable

in Catalonia and Spain in Catalonia and Spain (except Guadalquivir until (except Guadalquivir until Sevilla)Sevilla)

• The rivers are few large The rivers are few large and irregular.and irregular.

• The navigation is very The navigation is very important on the sea. important on the sea. Catalonia and Spain have a Catalonia and Spain have a very important fishing very important fishing fleet.fleet.

• There are important There are important commercial seaports, too, commercial seaports, too, like Barcelona. like Barcelona.

Use of fresh water or salt Use of fresh water or salt waterwater• The water of rivers is stored in dams and it is cleaned in The water of rivers is stored in dams and it is cleaned in

water treatment plants for the human uses.water treatment plants for the human uses.• Nowadays it’s usual in Spain to clean the salt water of the Nowadays it’s usual in Spain to clean the salt water of the

sea for human uses.sea for human uses.• The water of the sea is cleaned in salt water treatment The water of the sea is cleaned in salt water treatment

plants.plants.

Use of fresh waterUse of fresh water

• One of the water treatment plant in Catalonia is One of the water treatment plant in Catalonia is situated in Abrera.situated in Abrera.

• This plant distributes water to 80 towns, This plant distributes water to 80 towns, aproximately and it’s very important in the area aproximately and it’s very important in the area of Barcelona and the district of Anoia.of Barcelona and the district of Anoia.

Process of a fresh water Process of a fresh water treatment planttreatment plant1.1. Obtaining water from river Obtaining water from river

and cleaning of the big and cleaning of the big materials like sand or stones. materials like sand or stones.

2.2. Pumping water and Pumping water and adjustment of PH of water adjustment of PH of water with dioxide of carbon.with dioxide of carbon.

3.3. Mixture and floculation. Mixture and floculation. Clean water with chlorine Clean water with chlorine and other reagents.and other reagents.

4.4. Filter water with sand. (Beds Filter water with sand. (Beds of sand above 70 cm)of sand above 70 cm)

5.5. Filter water with actiFilter water with active ve coal.coal.6.6. Reversible electric cycling Reversible electric cycling

pump. Eliminate the salt of pump. Eliminate the salt of water.water.

7.7. AAdd chlorine again and store dd chlorine again and store water for human use.water for human use.

Use of salt waterUse of salt water

• In 1950’s it was built the first salt water treatment plant in In 1950’s it was built the first salt water treatment plant in Spain. It was built in Canary islands.Spain. It was built in Canary islands.

• Nowadays this system of water treatment is developing in Nowadays this system of water treatment is developing in Spain to solve the problem of water.Spain to solve the problem of water.

• The salt water treatment plant of El Prat (near Barcelona) The salt water treatment plant of El Prat (near Barcelona) started to work in 2009 and it’s one of the biggest in Europe.started to work in 2009 and it’s one of the biggest in Europe.

Process of salt water treatment Process of salt water treatment plantplant1.1. Taking water from the Taking water from the

system. It was built a system. It was built a pipe that enterpipe that enterss 5 km 5 km in the sea.in the sea.

2.2. Pre-treatment. It Pre-treatment. It cleancleans s water of solid water of solid materials: sand, materials: sand, stones, seaweed… stones, seaweed… Filter of water and Filter of water and microfilter. Add microfilter. Add chlorine and other chlorine and other chcheemicmichal hal process.process.

Process of salt water treatment Process of salt water treatment plantplant3. Pump of high pressure. 3. Pump of high pressure.

ThisThis pump separates pump separates the the salts salts from the from the water.water.

4. Reverse osmosis 4. Reverse osmosis water. It separates water. It separates the salt water and the salt water and cleans water with the cleans water with the pressure in pressure in membranes.membranes.

5. Post-treatment. It 5. Post-treatment. It neutralizes the PH of neutralizes the PH of water and disinfects water and disinfects the water with ozone.the water with ozone.

Advantages and disadvantages Advantages and disadvantages of salt waterof salt water

• ADVANTAGES: ADVANTAGES: - - It can use a big quantity of water when the rivers are dry.It can use a big quantity of water when the rivers are dry.

- After the treatment this water is as good as the fresh water from - After the treatment this water is as good as the fresh water from the rivers. The taste is similar than fresh water or even better.the rivers. The taste is similar than fresh water or even better.

• DISADVANTAGES:DISADVANTAGES:- - The process of this treatment plant can harm marine life.The process of this treatment plant can harm marine life.- The cost of this process is more expensive than the process of The cost of this process is more expensive than the process of

fresh water.fresh water.- This process moves the sand of the beaches and it can affect This process moves the sand of the beaches and it can affect

the sea ecosystem.the sea ecosystem.- When the process is finished: what I can do with the remainder - When the process is finished: what I can do with the remainder

salt?salt?