Can you tell us your role in the project and how your expertise contributes to the project’s mission?

Società Metropolitana Acque Torino S.p.A. (SMAT) is one of the partners involved in the iMERMAID project. SMAT is a company operating in the integrated water service sector and serves a population of more than 2 million inhabitants. In the iMERMAID Project, SMAT assumes the role of end-user and will be particularly crucial in the development of Case Study 3 focused on the removal and monitoring of heavy metals from wastewater.

SMAT’s main task will be to install and test the two technologies developed by the Project partners: Weeefiner and UNIFI. The technologies that will be installed concern the online monitoring and treatment of heavy metals at the outlet of a conventional wastewater treatment plant.

In 2008, SMAT founded its Research Centre, which over the years has built up solid experience in technological innovation research and EU-funded projects.

What do you think are the main benefits that the project brings forward, and in which areas do you envision the project having its biggest impact?

The technologies developed during the project are of particular interest to all companies that need to purify water of heavy metals to make it suitable for discharge into water bodies. The greater the removal and efficiency of the treatment systems, the lower the impact on the water body and consequently on the Mediterranean Sea.

In addition, regulations on wastewater treatment will become increasingly stringent in the coming years, particularly with regard to emerging contaminants. Research and development of innovative solutions for the treatment and monitoring of these pollutants will help water utilities to better pursue the goal of ‘zero pollution’.

Moreover, the school project will have an important impact in the dissemination of interactive learning methods on extremely important topics such as pollution and sustainable use of chemicals.

If you had to describe the iMERMAID project in one word, what would that be?

Innovation in wastewater treatment and monitoring.