Andalusia has established itself as one of Europe's leading blueberry and soft fruit production regions, with a strong concentration of professional hydroponic systems, including pot and bag culture, that allow growers to achieve very high yields. These growing media demand extremely precise management of irrigation and nutrition: any deviation in water quality or nutrient delivery can compromise crop viability and the return on the agricultural investment.
© Azud
Agricultural businesses operating in this environment face a set of compounding pressures:
- Structural water scarcity across the region, which forces growers to optimize every liter to maintain productive capacity.
- Strict environmental regulation, particularly in the highest-density growing zones, requires water reuse models and discharge controls.
- Pathogen risk in drainage water, which rules out direct reuse and can threaten plant health and productivity.
To address these challenges, AZUD has implemented drainage water treatment systems based on proven filtration and disinfection technologies, eliminating particles, solids, and a wide range of microorganisms to produce water safe for reuse in irrigation. The recovered water can then be reintegrated into the irrigation system with full guarantees for maintaining the health and productivity of the blueberry crop.
A four-stage treatment process
The solution integrates a four-phase process that combines advanced filtration with active oxidation to ensure the quality of the reclaimed water.
"In the first stage, mechanical filtration is carried out using air-assisted AZUD Helix Automatic units, with two filtration levels at 100 and 5 microns, removing the bulk of organic and inorganic particles."
"The second stage incorporates a microfiltration system using cartridges with a filtration rating of 1 micron, completing the removal of suspended solids ahead of the sanitary treatment."
"The final stages, three and four, consist of an advanced oxidation process combining ultraviolet radiation with peroxide dosing. This technology inactivates bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms, producing water fit for reuse in the crop."
© AzudDrainage water treatment plant
Higher productivity, lower resource consumption
The plant has a treatment capacity of up to 8 m³/h, sufficient to supply around 8 hectares of hydroponic blueberry production. Reusing drainage water delivers a measurable set of operational benefits:
- Greater water availability and improved irrigation efficiency.
- Fertilizer consumption reduced by up to 30%.
- Water savings of between 20% and 60%.
- Return on investment of under one year at current water and fertilizer costs.
"This case study in Andalusia demonstrates how combining advanced filtration and disinfection enables agricultural businesses to maintain high productivity levels, meet environmental regulations, and move toward more sustainable production models. With extensive experience in this type of solution and multiple field installations, AZUD backs the reliability and performance of its systems, giving agricultural businesses the confidence of working with equipment that has been tested and validated in real growing environments, ensuring efficiency and consistent results."
For more information:
AZUD
T. +34 968 80 84 02
[email protected]
https://azud.com/
