VALZEO’s final workshop at Ecomondo 2026 brings water utilities, industry and research together against emerging contaminants
A full room in Rimini explored how to take solutions for PFAS, pharmaceuticals and other micropollutants from the laboratory to the treatment plant
RIMINI, 6 November 2026 – The EU-funded VALZEO project held its final workshop, “Emerging contaminants: from research to the treatment plant”, at Ecomondo 2026 on 3 November. The afternoon session in Sala Orchidea drew a full room of water professionals, companies and researchers.
Water utilities opened the programme with real plant experience. ALFA Servizi presented ozonation as a fourth treatment stage at the Sant’Antonino Ticino plant. Gruppo CAP shared its response to TFA contamination in drinking water, including treatment technologies and pilot testing.
Technology providers then showed solutions already on the market. SIAD presented ozonation for wastewater, and Erica its PFAS removal technologies. De Nora drew on 15 years of ozone case studies, and Bioforcetech showed how sewage sludge can become biochar.
In the research session, Università Politecnica delle Marche presented a fluorescence-based system for monitoring emerging contaminants and PFAS. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, VALZEO’s coordinator, shared how the project turns agro-industrial residues such as rice husk ash into new water treatment materials. AERIS Tecnologías Ambientales gave an industrial view on scaling up innovation.
SITES closed the event with a co-creation session on turning VALZEO’s results into new partnerships and 2027 funding.
“The message from Rimini was clear: removing emerging contaminants needs research, utilities and industry working together from the start,” said Roberto Boada, VALZEO project coordinator at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.
About VALZEO
VALZEO (2023–2026) is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Staff Exchanges project coordinated by the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. It develops zeolite-based materials from agro-industrial waste for water treatment.
Funded by the European Union under Horizon Europe – Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, Grant Agreement No 101086354. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency (REA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
Media contact: Maghraby Elseify, SITES Ltd · www.valzeo.eu
