Within the context of the SWaTH project, a wastewater technologies training was conducted at the University of La Rochelle in France between 15 and 21 May 2022. This mobility attracted many faculty members from various Lebanese and European partner institutions, namely: Yara NASR, Marianne SABA, Henri EL ZAKHEM, and Makram EL BACHAWATI from the University of Balamand – Lebanon, Gabriel PEREZ from the University of Lleida – Spain, Joyce KHEIR and Jean CHAMOUN from the Lebanese University – Lebanon, Jad ABDALLAH from the Lebanese American University – Lebanon, Walid HARB from the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik – Lebanon, and Jacques HARB from the Notre Dame University-Louaize – Lebanon.
The local organizers Rafik BELARBI, Ferhat BENMAHIDDINE, Amine HAMAMI, and Stephane AYMARD from the University of La Rochelle (ULR) welcomed the Lebanese and European partners. This multidisciplinary journey included technical presentations focusing on different wastewater treatment technologies and visits to La Rochelle hospital and the municipal wastewater treatment plant in La Rochelle. In addition, the SWaTH team visited the numerous laboratories, facilities, and departments at ULR.
This mobility started with Mr. AYMARD presenting ULR. It was then followed by an informative presentation about the current french practices and the rules and legislations in France, typically in La Rochelle. The valorization and development of recycled solid waste from environmentally friendly materials were also covered during this mobility. The participants benefited from the presentation about the possibilities and challenges of recycling composites. In addition, many lectures and practice sessions took place in the university targeting pollutant detection in water using Stochastic modeling and artificial intelligence tool in process engineering.
The visit to the wastewater treatment plant was another highlight of this mobility. The SWaTH team was guided in the plant of La Rochelle (Port-Neuf). They visualized the different wastewater treatment steps such as pretreatment, biological treatment, clarification, and disinfection using UV lights. The participants also took advantage of this mobility to visit La Rochelle hospital and learn about their ways and methods to dispose of its solid wastes. At the La Rochelle University premises, the team explored the analysis center, specifically the CLIMABAT Model's microscopy sector. This model includes different green roofs and green facades that will be used during the SWaTH project to assess the impact of the treated wastewater on this sustainable technology from environmental and energetic perspectives.
