The AQUA-VINI Sustainability project aims to contribute towards promoting the production and application of ApR - water for reutilisation in the viti-viniculture activities ongoing in the Alentejo region, more specifically for the wines produced on the Herdade da Ravasqueira estate managed by Sociedade Agrícola D. Diniz, S.A..

The project also seeks to contribute towards deepening the technical knowledge on the reutilisation of water in irrigation activities, the effects of its application to the development of the irrigated crops as well as the impact on the receptor soil and water environments in addition to the irrigation systems.

The AQUA-VINI Sustainability project also enables the evaluation of any eventual impacts of ApR on the quality of the reservoir-pond waters, the source of the water for vine irrigation, and the evaluation of the effectiveness of the existing natural barriers.

The plans for testing the feasibility of ApR include the reusable waters produced by the Arraiolos Poente wastewater treatment plant run by AgdA – Águas Públicas do Alentejo, and their input into the existing reservoir-pond as a means of strengthening the water storage in effect in the terrain for vine irrigation. 

The definition of treatment solutions sought to bring about the implementation of a circular economy approach. To this end, further study is to target the viability of applying the biomaterials resulting from the region’s agricultural activities as means for a stage in the filtration treatment and thereby complementing the ApR production process.

The ApR produced in the wastewater treatment plant shall boost the volume of water existing in the reservoir-pond (currently supplied only by rainwater) to meet the current needs for vine irrigation. The evaluation process also extends to the scope of directly irrigating a plot of vines directly with ApR.

The methodology adopted for developing this present project shall enable verification that water for reutilisation is not only a safe and secure means of irrigation but also adapted to the concrete usage based on an evaluation of risk and thus guaranteeing a balanced and competitive cost-effectiveness relationship (the fit-for-purpose approach).

Additionally, a communications campaign is to be held with the definition of specific means for promoting the reutilisation of water in irrigation, for disseminating the project as best practice for the efficient management of hydric-resources, for raising awareness about the project as best practice for the efficient management of these resources, for leveraging the synergies obtained and the integrated role played within the framework of the Regional Plan of Hydric Efficiency for the Alentejo Region.

The consortium responsible for the project integrates AgdA - Águas Públicas do Alentejo, AdP VALOR, the Viti-viniculture Commission of the Alentejo Regional, COTR – the Operating Centre of Irrigation Technology and the producers of Monte da Ravasqueira.