NUTREACT​

Sustainable management of cyanobacteria and poor water quality​

Core Focus


NUTREACT pilots a nature-based biological filter that captures dissolved nitrogen and phosphorus into harvestable biomass to suppress toxic cyanobacterial blooms at a recreational lake. Combining a mobile pilot reactor, a scaled-up reactor, water and sediment monitoring and a techno-economic assessment, it will demonstrate an affordable, non-disruptive alternative to chemical and physical interventions. ​

Challenge


Recurring, severe toxic cyanobacteria blooms in inland recreational waters create health risks at De Gavers, force temporary recreational bans and degrade biodiversity. Existing options fall short: purification cannot lower phosphorus enough, while chemical precipitation and dredging are costly, high-carbon and damaging.​

Key Activities

  • Operate the mobile 2 m3 pilot reactor and map lake chemistry and sediment.​
  • Engineer, build and install the scaled-up 80 m3 reactor.​
  • Operate the reactor to assimilate nutrients into harvestable biomass.​
  • Calculate the total nitrogen and phosphorus mass removed.​
  • Hold a public demonstration day and a community workshop.
  • Deliver a techno-economic assessment and scaling roadmap.​

Communities Engaged

  • River basin & inland water communities​
  • Waterfront cities & regional authorities​
  • Tourism sector​

Project info

  • Funding instrument: Community-Led Actions

  • Lead partner: Avecom nv (Belgium)

  • Consortium members:
    • Provincie Oost-Vlaanderen (BE)
    • Dutch Water Tech Projects bv (NL)

  • Project Budget: €1.132.570,00​

  • Country of implementation: Belgium

  • Project duration: Up to 24 months