As 2024 comes to a close, the D4RUNOFF project has made significant progress across various activities, paving the way for exciting developments in 2025. Here’s a quick look at what we’ve achieved this year.
In Santander, we advanced work at the Las Llamas Park demo site, installing water quality sensors to monitor parameters like conductivity, pH, turbidity, and ammonium. These measurements will help us assess the effectiveness of the park’s wetland as a Nature-Based Solution (NBS) for urban runoff.
Our partner, INL has also finalised an innovative, fully automated sensing device capable of online monitoring of metals and microplastics smaller than 50 µm in runoff water. This device is now ready for installation and testing in our pilot areas, Santander, Odense and Pontedera, starting from February 2025.
Our inventory of runoff pollutants is complete, analysing water samples from 38 urban stormwater stations across Europe. This includes data on over 50 organic micropollutants, 25 inorganic pollutants, antibiotic resistance genes, and much more. From this, we identified key pollutants that pose the highest risks of leaching or accumulation in nature-based solutions.
On the technology front, ITG has made a significant progress in the development of the AI-powered platform, designed to assist stakeholders in managing urban runoff, has reached advanced stages of development. Key modules like data gathering, risk assessment, and policy-making tools are nearing completion. The platform also includes a Social Module with a Serious Game to educate citizens on urban runoff and the benefits of NBS.
Finally, the tool developed by the University of Cantabria, utilising Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA), is now complete and supports the development of our AI platform. This tool is designed to guide practitioners and decision-makers in selecting and prioritising the most effective Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) for urban drainage systems.
Throughout 2024, we actively engaged with stakeholders and local communities through events, conferences, and hands-on activities, from European Researchers’ Night in Santander and the CONAMA Environmental Conference in Spain to WAITRO (Global network of research & technology organisations) in China.
Looking ahead, 2025 will be an exciting year. The platform will be finalised and tested at our three pilot sites. New collaborations are already in the works, and we’ll continue engaging with stakeholders, testing our innovations, and sharing knowledge to tackle urban runoff challenges.
Stay tuned for more updates as we take the next steps in D4RUNOFF!
