auma is preparing the preliminary design of a pilot scheme to use a nitrate-laden groundwater abstraction for agriculture in Alt Empordà: rather than writing the aquifer off, establishing the conditions under which it can be a resource.
Project overview
| Client | Waste management and land restoration company (confidential) |
| Market | Industry |
| Practice area | Water · Waste and circular economy |
| Location | Alt Empordà |
| Services | Preliminary design of a pilot scheme |
| Year | 2026 |
The challenge
Agricultural nitrate pollution affects many aquifers in vulnerable zones. The usual reaction is to write the water off; this project asked a different question: what is it good for?
- Conditioned quality: the nitrate load limits possible uses and requires each one to be justified.
- Strict regulatory framework: any abstraction must fit water legislation and vulnerable zone rules.
- Pilot scale: the scheme had to be small enough to be affordable and representative enough to draw conclusions.
The auma solution
The preliminary design addresses the opportunity with every constraint on the table:
- Characterisation of the abstraction and water quality, with nitrates as the governing parameter.
- Analysis of compatible agricultural uses and the technical and regulatory conditions for each.
- Definition of the pilot: sizing, control points and quality monitoring throughout the trial.
The result
- Preliminary design delivered with the technical and regulatory feasibility assessed.
- A water resource previously written off now has an assessed, bounded potential use.
- A technical basis for permitting and for scaling the trial up if results support it.
In a country with recurring drought, water you cannot drink is not lost water: it is water you need to assign a purpose to, with the right controls and legal framework.
Frequently asked questions
Can water containing nitrates be used for irrigation?
It depends on concentration, crop and the applicable rules. Nitrates are plant nutrients, so under certain conditions they can be used in irrigation, always with monitoring and by adjusting fertilisation so total doses are not exceeded.
What is a nitrate vulnerable zone?
An area designated by the authorities where waters are affected by, or at risk from, agricultural nitrate pollution. It carries specific obligations on fertiliser and livestock manure management.
What regulates groundwater abstraction?
Spain's consolidated Water Act and the public hydraulic domain regulations govern concessions and abstractions; in Catalonia the competent water authority authorises the abstraction and sets its monitoring conditions.
Have you written off a water resource because of its quality?
We assess what it can be used for, with which controls and under which legal framework.
Let's talk about your project