iempresa

EMARSA: The Metropolitan Industry of Residual Water (Emarsa) is located very near the sea and the "Albufera", a specially sensitive area from the point of view environmental. Before it started to work in 1981, the residual water of the Valencia city and the towns, which round the Natural Park, circulated through the irrigation ditches and ended into the crop fields, into the sea and into the lake without any treatment. This fact was degrading this natural regions in big measure.

Emarsa is in charge of the exploitation and the maintenance of the Pinedo's Waterworks. Nowadays, near a third of the "black water", which is generated in the "Comunidad Valenciana", is treated in Emarsa. In 2003 Emarsa reached near 120 millions of m3 against the 361 millions per year of depurated water in the Community. The Central has capacity to depurate approximately 375.000 m3 daily.

The near of 120 millions of cubic metres of depurated water in 2003 locate to the Pinedo's Waterworks in the first place in volume in the "Comunidad Valenciana" and the third in Spain behind the big cities like Madrid and Barcelona.

Nowadays, two waterworks constitute Emarsa: EDAR I and EDAR II. The two plants occupy a surface of 109.052 m2. In the first, the residual water receives a Pre-treatment, Primary Treatment, Biological and Secondary. The quality of the depurated water that leave the EDAR I make this water is suitable for being sent to the crop fields for irrigation and to the "Albufera", fact that contributes to the "Albufera" maintenance and regeneration. In the EDAR II, the "black water" are subjected to a Pre-treatment and a Primary Treatment, fact that make the black water is suitable for being emptied into the sea.

With the extention works that are taking place in Emarsa the residual water of the EDAR I and EDAR II will receive a complete Treatment, it means, Pre-treatment, Primary Treatment, Biological, Secondary and Tertiary reaching a depuration grade of 99,9% in its more significant parameter. The final surface of the Pinedo's waterworks will be of 163.062 m2.

After the depuration process, the depurated water waters more than 15.000 anegadas of rice and irrigated region.

The last end that is followed with this actions is to take care and to drain the environment are, so, as well as the depuration of the "black water", Emarsa has always worried about looking for the most suitable way to put the residues that are extracted of the residual water during the depuration process, exactly the mud. Nowadays, more than 130.000 tones have been used like compost in the crop fields since 1997 in about 60 towns of the Valencia province.

Also in Emasa, the electricity is obtained through the mud which is used to supply part of the necessities of the plant.

With all this, the depurated station fulfils five functions whose results benefice the environment:

To protect the water and the "Albufera" fauna and flora.
T o increase the irrigation water quality.
To reuse the mud like compost for the crops.
To drain the beaches and the cost line.
To generate electric energy.