CIARA: towards smarter and more circular Water Management in Terra Alta

At Herència Altés, we believe that making wine also means caring for the land. In a context marked by drought, increasing pressure on water resources, and the need to adapt to climate challenges, efficient water management has become a strategic priority for the wine industry.

For this reason, we are taking part in the CIARA project (Circular and Intelligent Management of Wastewater in Nuclear Transition Areas), a collaborative initiative aimed at developing more sustainable, efficient, and future-ready approaches to water management.

A Project to Transform Wastewater Management

CIARA brings together companies and organisations from different sectors with a common goal: to study and implement innovative solutions that improve wastewater treatment, promote water reuse, and optimise processes through digital technologies.

The project is coordinated by the Catalan Water Partnership and involves the participation of Adobinve, Herència Altés and Aigües de Catalunya, with the collaboration of INNOVI – Catalan Wine Cluster.

What Will CIARA Bring to Herència Altés?

For our winery, the project will provide a detailed assessment of the wastewater generated during winemaking activities and evaluate different treatment alternatives tailored to our specific needs.

The objective is to develop a technically and economically viable roadmap that will allow us to:

• Gain a deeper understanding of the winery’s water flows.
• Identify opportunities to improve wastewater management and treatment.
• Assess options for water reuse.
• Explore shared or collective treatment solutions with other facilities in the region.
• Reduce the environmental impact of our operations and increase resilience to future water scarcity challenges.

This work will not only benefit Herència Altés but could also serve as a reference model for other wineries in Terra Alta and similar rural wine-growing regions.

Innovation and Collaboration for a More Resilient Territory

One of the most valuable aspects of CIARA is its cross-sector approach. The project connects the wine industry, water management companies, and the leather tanning sector to share knowledge, identify best practices, and develop solutions that can be replicated elsewhere.

This collaboration will help advance more circular models in which water is recognised as a valuable resource that can be regenerated, reused, and managed more efficiently.

At the same time, CIARA will strengthen the competitiveness of participating companies while supporting the ecological and digital transition of the region.

A Commitment to Sustainability

Sustainability is part of Herència Altés' DNA. For many years, we have worked to reduce the environmental impact of our activities and preserve the landscape that gives identity to our wines.

Participating in projects such as CIARA allows us to continue moving forward in this commitment by exploring new tools and knowledge that help build a more responsible and resilient wine industry for future generations.

Funding

This project is funded with the support of ACCIÓ, the Catalan Government's agency for business competitiveness, through the Nuclear Transition Fund programme.



CIARA Project – Circular and Intelligent Management of Wastewater in Nuclear Transition Areas.