This project proposes a comprehensive technical solution focused on water efficiency and improved discharge quality in Ecuador’s seafood processing industry, particularly in operations that require large volumes of water at controlled temperatures, such as cooking and defrosting. These operations generate residual streams with high thermal and organic loads, and their inadequate management can compromise both resource sustainability and compliance with environmental regulations.
The proposal is based on the implementation of an internal recirculation system that enables partial or total closure of the water cycle using physical-chemical separation technologies, thermal recovery, and disinfection without chlorine. The treatment includes stages of multi-layer filtration, advanced oxidation (using ozone and/or UV-activated peroxides), and automated control of critical parameters (COD, temperature, turbidity, microorganisms). This configuration ensures treated water quality suitable for non-potable reuse within the same plant, reducing dependence on external sources and minimizing thermal or pollutant discharges into the environment.
Additionally, the modular design facilitates adaptation to different operational scales and enables online technical monitoring of the system’s water and energy performance, aligning the intervention with the principles of VWBA 2.0 and Water Quality Benefit Accounting (WQBA).
Seafood processing plants in Ecuador’s coastal areas face dual structural pressures. On one hand, there is a high demand for water in thermal processes, such as cooking, blanching, or defrosting, which require significant flow rates and generate continuous streams of wastewater with elevated temperatures and high organic loads (fats, proteins, COD, BOD, TSS). On the other hand, untreated discharges often end up directly in marine or estuarine receiving bodies, leading to environmental impacts such as eutrophication, increased oxygen demand, and degradation of coastal habitats.
The situation is worsened by the low adoption of recirculation or intermediate treatment technologies, creating a structural dependence on external water sources (wells, municipal networks, surface intakes), which increases the water footprint of facilities. Moreover, institutional capacities for environmental monitoring and enforcement, although improved, still have gaps, particularly in areas where small and medium-sized producers operate without integrated technical effluent treatment systems.
Consequently, the issue is not only technical but also systemic: it stems from a lack of water planning in coastal industrial zones, weak coordination between public and private actors, and the absence of regulatory and financial incentives to promote the transition toward circular models of water use.
The project incorporates a modular treatment system designed to operate autonomously, scalable, and adaptable to various plant capacities. This system integrates advanced technologies to simultaneously address both the quantitative and qualitative dimensions of water used in thermal processes:
This combination of technologies enables a net water consumption reduction of over 85% in treated lines and significantly improves final effluent quality. Additionality is verified by comparing pre- and post-intervention water use and pollutant loads, under VWBA 2.0 and WQBA frameworks.
The project unfolds in three progressive phases, each with defined technical objectives, controls, and indicators to ensure traceability, operational efficiency, and compliance with additionality and permanence criteria.
Phase 1 – Diagnosis (0–3 months): A comprehensive characterization of the plant’s water system is performed, including measurements of inlet/outlet flows for thermal processes, operational temperatures, and key water quality parameters (BOD, COD, TSS, fats). Specific water consumption per production unit (m³/ton processed) is determined, and applicable regulatory frameworks for discharge and reuse are analyzed. Digital flow meters, accredited lab analysis with composite sampling, and internal audits establish a precise water baseline. The phase concludes with a regulatory compliance plan and preliminary design specifications.
Phase 2 – Technical Pilot (3–9 months): A full-scale pilot treatment module is installed, including thermal recovery, multi-layer filtration, advanced oxidation (ozone + UV-C), and dual-pass UV disinfection. A SCADA system with multiparametric sensors ensures operational precision. Metrics include daily volumes of treated/reused water, organic contaminant removal percentages, and thermal energy recovery. Physical-chemical and microbiological sampling validate system efficiency and scalability.
Phase 3 – Scale-up and Monitoring (9–24 months): The solution is deployed plant-wide. Modules are integrated at all critical water-use points, operations are adjusted to maximize reuse without compromising food safety, and a digital dashboard linked to Aqua Positive is activated for real-time project KPI reporting. Rigorous controls—sensor calibration, external validation under VWBA/WQBA, and independent audits—are applied. Key metrics include annual net water savings, internal reuse rate (vs. baseline), and continuous compliance with discharge standards.
This phased, technically robust approach ensures a scalable implementation with iterative learning, scientific validation of results, and full alignment with corporate and regulatory sustainability frameworks.
This project was conceived as a technical, environmental, and strategic response to the water-related challenges faced by the seafood processing industry in Ecuador’s coastal zones, particularly in the provinces of Esmeraldas, Guayas, and Manabí. These regions, in addition to being hubs of significant industrial activity in fishing, shrimp farming, and agro-export sectors, form part of a coastal strip with watersheds under severe water stress, organic contamination, and structural vulnerability to climate change.
From its conception, the project aligns with the principles of the VWBA 2.0 framework, also integrating Water Quality Benefit Accounting (WQBA) criteria to ensure rigorous measurement of both volumetric savings and improvements in water quality. The intervention begins with an exhaustive technical diagnosis that defines the water consumption baseline, critical points of use, discharge parameters, and the thermal efficiency of the processes. This baseline is established through the use of digital flow meters, laboratory analyses for the characterization of BOD, COD, TSS, and fats, as well as energy records and assessment of environmental regulatory compliance.
Based on that diagnosis, a modular, scalable, and technologically robust solution is designed. This solution incorporates an integrated system for thermal recovery using heat exchangers, multi-layer filtration with granular media of different granulometries (sand, anthracite, zeolite), advanced oxidation combining ozone and UV-C radiation, and a dual-pass UV disinfection chamber that ensures microbiological inactivation without generating hazardous chemical by-products. The treated water is redirected to non-potable uses such as CIP cleaning, tray pre-washing, thermal tunnel cooling, or surface washing, thereby closing the internal water cycle of the plant.
The system is operated and monitored through a SCADA platform integrated with multiparameter sensors (flow, TDS, temperature, turbidity, UVT, COD), allowing automatic, safe, and real-time control, with capabilities for issuing alerts, generating auditable reports, and maintaining historical traceability.
Implementation takes place over three phases. In the first phase (0 to 3 months), all technical data is consolidated, regulatory parameters are adjusted, and engineering specifications are defined. In the second phase (3 to 9 months), a full-scale technical pilot is installed in a selected process line to validate its hydraulic, thermal, and microbiological performance. Treated flow rates, recovered energy, contaminant removal, and operational behavior are all measured. Once the results are verified, the project moves into Phase 3 (9 to 24 months), in which the solution is scaled to the entire plant, operating routines are adjusted, personnel are trained, and a monitoring dashboard is established, linked to the Aqua Positive platform. Benefits generated are reported and certified through independent external audits.
In parallel, key partnerships are developed with relevant stakeholders: government authorities such as MAATE and ARCSA, seafood sector operators, multilateral organizations like CAF, GEF, or BID Lab, and local universities such as ESPOL or PUCE Manabí, which collaborate in technical monitoring and environmental impact evaluation.
The benefit calculation is based on the VWBA A-4 methodology, measuring net reused volume and discounting unavoidable losses due to evaporation or carryover. In terms of quality, the WQBA framework is applied to quantify reductions in pollutant loads within discharges. The benefit period is estimated at 10 years, with biennial validations. Key variables include treated flow, reuse percentage, thermal efficiency, BOD/COD/TSS reduction, and compliance with discharge limits.
The project contributes directly to seven Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 9 (Industry and Innovation), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption), SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 14 (Life Below Water), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). Each of these SDGs is reflected in concrete impacts, from relieving pressure on aquifers and coastal bodies to improving operational sustainability, mitigating climate change, and strengthening local water governance.
The monitoring system relies on online sensors, field validation with periodic sampling, and remote sensing to assess changes in water abstraction patterns. All results are reported under the ESRS E3 framework, Science-Based Targets for Water, and CDP Water Disclosure, ensuring traceability, verifiability, and compatibility with international corporate sustainability standards.
In sum, this project represents a replicable model of circular water economy for Ecuador’s coastal food sector, with technical, environmental, and regulatory support, capable of delivering tangible benefits for both the environment and the industry’s competitiveness.
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