The WETWINE project aims to treat winery wastewater using constructed wetlands to recover effluent for vineyard irrigation and fertilizer. The system uses a HUSB reactor for pre-treatment followed by vertical and horizontal subsurface constructed wetlands planted with reeds. Solids from the HUSB reactor are further treated to produce an organic fertilizer. Initial results from a pilot plant in Spain show over 90% removal of COD and almost 100% removal of solids and nutrients, with low sludge production. The treated water and fertilizer could potentially be used for vineyard irrigation and agriculture according to Spanish regulations.

1. Winery wastewater valorisation system
based on constructed wetlands
WETWINE project
Alfonso Ribas 1, Rocio Pena 2, Daniel Durán (dduran@feuga.es) 3
1 INGACAL, Pazo de Quián s/n, Sergude, 15881 Boqueixón, A Coruña, SP, 2 AIMEN, Polígono Industrial de Cataboi SUR-PPI-2 (Sector) 2, Parcela 3, 36418 O Porriño, SP,
3 FEUGA, Rúa Lope Gómez de Marzoa s/n, Campus Vida, 15705 Santiago de Compostela, SP
Introduction
Context
South-West Europe region accounts for 25% of the European vineyard area. The wine sector has notable
environmental implications, some of them related to water and fertilization: consumption of water in
cellars, production of liquid spills, use of fertilizers in the vineyards.
Project description
In the framework of WETWINE project, funded by the 2015 Interreg Sudoe Programme, a natural-based
technology for wastewater treatment will be validated. This project is being carried out on South-West
Europe, where the wine sector has a great economic impact.
Figure 1: WETWINE project concept
WETWINE aims to valorise wastewater from wineries by recovering the effluent to be used as irrigation
water and fertilizer for the vineyard. Therefore, a circular economy approach is proposed in this project.
Although winery wastewater characteristics depend on its activity, process and products obtained, its
treatment problems are similar. That is why a common technology treatment is proposed to be applied.
However, it is necessary to adapt the design and operation strategies to each winery as they will have
different production processes. Furthermore, it must be taken into account than wineries have significant
differences in wastewater production (flow and organic load) during the year.
The project offers a low-cost, easy-to-use effluent management system which manages to obtain a vineyard
fertiliser that limits waste production as well as soil and water contamination in the South-West Europe,
thus reducing the impact vinicultural activity has on the natural heritage.
Methodology
WETWINE valorisation system is a combination of subsurface flow constructed wetlands (SSCW),
considered natural-based technologies.
First step is a pre-treatment anaerobic unit: HUSB reactor (hydrolytic upflow sludge blanket). In
HUSB reactor, wastewater solids are retained and hydrolysed with an efficiency of 70-80%.
Then upflow water will be treated in a combination of vertical and horizontal SSCW planted with
reeds. The outlet flow could be suitable for vineyard irrigation and meet the established release
limits.
On the other hand, solids from HUSB bottom will be treated in a sludge treatment wetland in
order to dewater and stabilise the anaerobic sludge and to formulate an organic fertilizer to be
used in the vineyard.
Therefore, with this technology, one obtains waters fulfilling current FAO specifications and
wastewater reuse regulations. At the same time, winery residues are revalorized through the
process of reuse of sludge as a fertiliser, which reduces waste production as well as soil and water
contamination.Figure 2 – WETWINE valorisation system
Inlet
Gravel 6-12 mm
Outlet
Stone 60-80 mmInsulation (base & lateral)
Vegetation
Inlet
Gravel 6-12 mm
Outlet
Insulation (base & lateral)
Vegetation
Stone 20-30 mm
Sand 1-2 mm
Ventilation tube
Inlet
Gravel 6-12 mm
Outlet
Insulation (base & lateral)
Vegetation
Stone 20-30 mm
Sand 1-2 mm
Sludge
www.wetwine.eu
Funding
WETWINE is a European transnational cooperation project co-
financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
It takes place in 12 viticultural regions of 3 countries of the
South-West Europe (France, Portugal and Spain) and has
duration of 36 months, from July 2016 until June 2019.
Consortium
WETWINE consortium is formed by 8 beneficiaries belonging to
SUDOE territory. From Spain: Instituto Galego da Calidade
Alimentaria – INGACAL (project coordinator), Asociación de
Investigación Metalúrgica del Noroeste – AIMEN, Fundación
Empresa Universidad Gallega – FEUGA, Consejería de
Agricultura, Ganadería y Medio Ambiente de La Rioja
Government, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya – UPC; from
France: Institut Français de la Vigne et du Vin Pôle Sud-Ouest -
IFV SUD-OUEST, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique
– INRA; and from Portugal: Associação para o Desenvolvimento
da Viticultura Duriense – ADVID..
WETWINE system is being validated at demo-scale in a Spanish winery (Bodega Santiago Ruiz,
Pontevedra, Spain) for 2 years, in order to check operation conditions in different seasons, especially in
grape harvest, when higher organic and flow rates are expected. The activity started on May 2017.
Stone 60-80 mmInsulation (base & lateral) Insulation (base & lateral) Insulation (base & lateral)
Figure 3 – Horizontal Subsurface Constructed Wetland Figure 4 – Vertical Subsurface Constructed Wetland Figure 5 – Vertical Subsurface Constructed Wetland
Results
WETWINE Pilot plant set up
Preliminary results after this first harvest
Removal efficiency higher than 90% in COD & almost 100% solids, nutrients
• POSIBLE USE IN AGRICULTURE IRRIGATION according Spanish legislation: RD 1620/2007
Low production of sludge in HUSB
• LOW PRODUCTION OF FERTILIZER
Horizontal CW
Figure 6 – Pilot plant: location, construction phases and operation