• EU Project Life CERSUDS: now the first street test

The last annual meeting of the EU Life CERSUDS Project (Ceramic Sustainable Urban Drainage System) at ITC in Castellón, E, at the end of October also offered the opportunity for a visit to the ongoing work for the implementation of the demonstrator in Benicàssim (Castellón, E). More in detail, in an area close to the demonstrator, the first street test of the system is being installed, consisting of a permeable surface made of ceramic tiles of low commercial value that, practically in a handmade way, have been cut and piled up forming this innovative system that will help to collect the excess water coming from torrential waters, and that later can be reused for the irrigation of landscaped areas.
There are several challenges that are still awaiting the project partners. For example, that this demonstrator should serve as an example to show that flooding caused by torrential rains can be reduced by increasing permeable surfaces in cities; that it is possible to reuse stored water during the rainy season for its use in periods of drought, in addition to integrating rainwater treatment into the urban landscape.
In addition, and among many other objectives, the Project aims to protect water quality, reducing the effects of diffuse pollution and thus avoiding problems in sewage treatment plants, also reducing CO₂ emissions associated with the manufacture of paving materials, since the material used for this purpose is ceramic material in stock and with low commercial value.