New solutions to the challenges of climate change
GUARDIAN is a system designed to increase fire resilience in an area of the Turia Natural Park. It is the largest fire protection infrastructure in Europe and the second largest in the world. In addition to the scale of this facility, its distinguishing feature is that it uses reclaimed water—treated wastewater subjected to specific processes for reuse—in the fight against forest fires, which are becoming increasingly frequent as a result of the climate crisis.
The system was developed within the European GUARDIAN project “Green Urban Actions for Resilient Fire Defence of the Interface Area”. The project received funding from the European Union and was led by the Town Councils of Riba-roja de Túria and Paterna, together with Hidraqua (Veolia), Medi XXI, the University of Valencia, the Polytechnic University of Valencia and Cetaqua (Veolia). The Turia Natural Park (Generalitat Valenciana) also collaborated in the project.
The project included, among other actions, the design and construction of a WRS (water reclamation station) for the removal of emerging microcontaminants, which treats part of the effluent from the Camp de Túria II WWTP. The reclaimed water is used, through the installation of water cannons, for preventive irrigation and maintenance of the areas that make up the green firebreak protection barriers in the wildland-urban interface, thus avoiding the use of drinking water. In addition, the transport and distribution network for reclaimed water was designed and built (storage tanks, pipelines, pumping stations), as well as the monitoring of climatic and agronomic conditions, the construction of green barriers, and the restoration of a protected wetland area (La Vallesa Reservoir). Finally, forestry and vegetation management works were carried out, along with the introduction of fire-resilient species. The project also included communication and training actions on fire prevention for the population living in the wildland-urban interface, a socio-economic analysis of the project’s overall impact, as well as an assessment of the replicability of GUARDIAN in other urban environments.
After the European project phase of GUARDIAN ended in May 2022, the system is now fully operational in Riba-roja de Túria and Paterna. VEOLIA is responsible for its operation and maintenance.