Created in 2003, the ITC Water Department leads and participates in major European and regional research, development, innovation, demonstration and international cooperation projects, as well as performs specialized services within various issues related to water. It has an interdisciplinary team of technicians with high qualification and experience in the fields of engineering, water quality and water treatment, environmental management and energy.

Within its priorities is the transnational cooperation in initiatives of drinking water and energy provision to isolated areas, sustainable water management, wastewater treatment and its productive use and the evaluation and protection of water quality.

Department strategic research lines are as follows:

• Design, development and testing of water desalination systems and its application with renewable energy systems.
• Design, development and testing of water treatment and water reuse systems with low energy cost criteria and its application with renewable energy systems.
• Evaluation and improvement of water quality.

With more than 50 projects implemented since its creation, giving priority to the outcomes dissemination and quality, the Department pursues different objectives within its overall strategy:

• Contribute to the growing social interest and concern in the world of water and the consequences of climate change. The increase in oil prices and the growing linkage of the binomial water-energy strategically promotes our work.
• Make available to the society in general and public administration and companies in particular its proven experience in key areas of high need in the Canary Islands.
• Continue working on foresight and generate ideas for projects to support the Canary business development and the water resource sustainability.
• Support in the high potential of the Canary Islands as a platform for technological experimentation.
• Count with its excellent contacts in numerous local, national and international institutions that allow to participate in projects of high interest and that the knowledge potential and experience reverts in the Canary Islands.
• Enhance the high interest of the autonomous community of the Canary Islands in the realization of cooperation projects for development, especially in West Africa (Morocco, Mauritania and Cape Verde mainly), circumstance that certainly motivates a significant increase in the participation and leadership of the Canary Islands in cooperation programs, where the Water Department has a long experience..

The Department aspires to excellence in the area of knowledge of water and is intended to be a regional, national and international reference within the lines of applied research in desalination, water treatment and water quality, particularly with respect to other island regions of Macaronesia, Europe and the world and, in particular, with regard to developing countries of their geographical environment.

In particular, through the implementation of different kind of projects in cooperation with private enterprise and other research agencies, the Department intends to consolidate its expertise in the following knowledge areas to make it useful in the Canary Island society:

• RO desalination powered by solar photovoltaic, wind, thermal and tidal energy.
• Desalination by electrodialysis powered by solar PV and/or wind energy.
• Solar distillation through emerging processes.
• Energy recovery in SWRO desalination processes.
• Processes and technologies of wastewater treatment with low energy consumption.
• Processes and technologies of purification, conditioning and water reuse.
• Application of biomass generated in water treatment processes.
• Grey water treatment systems.
• Evaluation and improvement of physicochemical and microbiological quality of desalinated water, water supply, sea water and reclaimed water to reuse.
• Analysis and search for solutions to the risks of pollution caused by discharges from desalination processes, water purification and industrial activities
• Planning and territorial, social and environmental integration and economic evaluation of water treatment technologies.
• Training and results dissemination in all the above areas.

You can get more information by visiting various projects web pages:

• Proyecto CARMAC
• Proyecto ISLHáGUA
• Proyecto TECOAGUA
• Proyecto MEDIRAS
• Proyecto PRODES
• Proyecto DEPURANAT
• Proyecto AQUAMAC

For further information contact us.