The Viladesuso wetland is an example of how Water Credits, also known as Credits Aqua Positive (CAPs), under the Act4Water Standard turn a company’s commitment to water into certified positive impact. It is the result of a collaboration between Veolia, Corporación Hijos de Rivera, the Betanzos Town Council and Act4Water.
The Cecebre reservoir supplies water to the A Coruña metropolitan area. As with other reservoirs, its quality can be affected by eutrophication (an excess of nutrients, mainly nitrogen and phosphorus). In this context, the initiative began to take shape in 2024 with the signing of the collaboration agreement between the four organisations. That agreement laid the groundwork for building this innovative nature-based system, which complements the current water treatment at the Viladesuso wastewater treatment plant in Betanzos.
A natural filter that also attracts biodiversity
The wetland treats around 220 m³ of wastewater a day from the treatment plant, as a complement to the existing treatment and before the water is returned to the environment. Over an area of 396 m², it combines a waterproofed pond, native vegetation (common cattail, Typha latifolia) and an aeration system that supplies oxygen in a controlled way. These elements work together to remove excess nutrients and improve the quality of the outflow.
Besides improving the quality of the treated water returned to the environment, the wetland supports the conservation of the surrounding ecosystems and creates a new habitat for local flora and fauna. Being native, the cattail can serve as a nursery for the replanting work carried out in the area.
From commitment to certified positive impact
With this initiative, Hijos de Rivera, producer of Estrella Galicia, takes a further step in its commitment to water and its water footprint. By funding the Viladesuso Wetland, it generates a positive impact in the basin where it operates, through a project that is already improving the water and supporting the territory’s biodiversity.
This funding is channelled through the generation of CAPs, the unit of the Act4Water Standard that measures and certifies the positive impact of an initiative on water resources. Each CAP equals 1,000 m³ of positive water impact in the basin. Thanks to the Water + certification obtained by the project, backed by independent verification, the wetland generates 297 CAPs a year, representing an annual water benefit equivalent to 297,000 m³ for the reservoir.
297 CAPs a year: 297,000 m³ of annual water benefit for the Cecebre reservoir.
Public-private collaboration
The project has been made possible by public-private collaboration and by the combined capabilities of the participating organisations. This alliance brings together technical knowledge of the water cycle, business commitment and institutional support to respond to a shared environmental challenge through collective action directly tied to the territory.erritorio.
