In 2018, Ingeobras, the parent company of BIOBOX, carried out a project by installing a Denitrification Water Treatment Plant in Falset, Tarragona.
It was a project designed for a well in the village of Falset (Tarragona, Spain). It had high levels of nitrates NO3– and arsenic As3+ above the limit values established according to the regulations. In addition, this well supplied 20% of the population of Falset. Therefore, it was an important source of water for the municipality.
To ensure the supply of high-quality drinking water from the existing intakes, the design and construction of a water treatment plant was required. Ingeobras’ technical team designed and installed a biological denitrification system using BIOBOX Nitrates technology, which converts nitrates into nitrogen gas (N₂), and BIOBOX Arsenic technology, which reduces arsenic to safe levels, in compliance with established health regulations. The water treatment plant (WTP) was designed with stages of denitrification and filtration, incorporating control and automation elements to optimize the plant’s automatic operation. This allows for detailed monitoring, ensuring that key parameters remain within the regulatory limits.
For this project, the amount of backwash water required is between 0.5 and 1% of the total water produced. The quality of the backwash water allows its discharge into the sewage system or its reuse in agriculture.
In conclusion, this design for denitrifying working in a biofilter is the best option, in terms of water quality and cost. The process is the most robust and reliable with a strong component of economic and environmental sustainability.
Technologies used:
Plant characteristics:
Influent: Well water
Technology: BIOBOX Nitrate; BIOBOX Arsenic
Flow rate: 88 GPM / 20 m3/h
Influent N-NO₃: 13–16 mg/L / (NO₃ 60-70 mg/L)
Effluent N-NO₃: <9 mg/L / / (NO₃ <40 mg/L)
Influent Arsenic: 20 µg/L
Effluent Arsenic: < 2 µg/L
Plant steps:
The treatment line of the denitrification Drinking Water Treatment Plant in Falset consists of three steps:
- Denitrification anoxic biofilter
- Filtration to remove suspended solids
- Chlorine disinfection to eliminate microbiology as in any DWTP.