This intervention site is located in the region of Ariana in the northeast of Tunisia.
In the area, there are
no conventional water resources both surface and groundwater. The Waste Water
Treatment Plant (WWTP) is used to treat urban effluent and Treated Wastewater
(TWW) is mainly used to irrigate public parks.
👉Choutrana II has been selected as a representative learning site for
demonstrations and scientific research targeting researchers, farmers, NGOs,
etc. In the site, water quality has been improved by installing a tertiary
treatment system to enable the diversification of crops, and the implementation
of low pressure irrigation systems tailored for TWW for a
better distribution efficiency and reliability of the material.
In the framework of the MENAWARA project, an upgrade of the treatment for a partial volume has been realized to irrigate 1 ha to serve as a living lab for research, training, demonstration, and educational purposes.
The tertiary treatment line for the reclamation of the secondary treated wastewater from the WWTP Choutrana II, is composed by a filtration treatment through pressure sand filters and a subsequent disinfection stage by means of the action of ultraviolet radiation.
In order to create a real environment where different stakeholders could work and test solutions, a demonstration site and control site for farmers and researchers has been created.
The following crops have been planted: sunflowers, fodder crops, medicinal plants, orange trees, grapes.
Thanks to the creation of the Living Lab, 4 students from Université Libre de Tunis, Université Centrale et INSAT could investigate on treated waste water technology focusing on the efficiency of the operational management of the tertiary treament unit and the irrigation of authorized crops, such as lavander and citrus cultivated there. The results of their research have been presented at the international roundtable held in June 2023.
The Living Lab, with its green area for scientific experiments, will foster environmental education for young people and adults thus improving the skills on non-conventional water while promoting awareness, good practices, and benefits of Treated Wastewater in the agricultural sector.