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Chimps frolicking in a pond at the Barcelona Zoo, Source: Zoo Barcelona

Barcelona Zoo to install water regeneration plant inspired by nature

Barcelona Zoo to install water regeneration plant inspired by nature

The facility will be ready to operate in 2025 and visitors will be able to see how it works

Did you know that the air temperature in the Barcelona Zoo is 3 degrees lower than the rest of the city? That is just one of the tangible effects of creating a green island including other conditions that regulate the wellbeing and comfort of the animals that are in the care of the facility.

However, Barcelona Zoo is also very mindful of its water consumption. So much so that it has managed to reduce that parameter 600 m³ of water since 2018 - from 1500 m³ to 900m³. That, however, doesn’t mean keeping the animals thirsty and dehydrated. It’s about reusing water in a smarter and more organized way.

The latest innovation in that respect, as announced by the zoo’s management, will be the placement of a pilot water renovation plant, which will filter water used in cleaning the zoo grounds by employing a method that occurs naturally in humid ecosystems, such as wetlands.

Barcelona Zoo has successfully managed to reduce water consumption

The water regeneration plant is a project financed through the EU’s LIFE program.

The plant will operate using a system similar to wetlands where plants and microorganisms act as natural purification systems. The treated water will be reused within the zoo itself to irrigate, clean or refill natural ponds, it won’t be used as drinking water.

The new regenerating water plant, which is expected to start working in the summer of 2025, will also be a space to "educate people on the importance of humid zones, a threatened ecosystem that holds a lot of importance in water's cycle," Sito Alarcón, the director of Barcelona Zoo, told the press on Tuesday, as quoted by Catalan News.  

The plant will be located next to the ponds and visitors will be able to see firsthand how the water gets filtered. That means that it will also serve as a tool for education and raising awareness about the need to improve water management.

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