IHCantabria concludes implementation of the CICLOPE system in Santander Bay

At the end of this month, the Institute of Environmental Hydraulics of the University of Cantabria(IHCantabria) has completed the development of the CICLOPE system in the Bay of Santander, after a period of 15 months of work, funded by the Marine Science Plan.

CICLOPE is a pioneering tool in sanitation management, based on the use of artificial intelligence, specifically deep learning techniques. Its predictive capacity makes it possible to anticipate the impact of discharges on water quality, which facilitates decision-making to prevent closures of bathing areas, shellfish production areas and aquaculture farms. In addition, the system offers a web viewer and e-mail alerts, which optimizes monitoring and response to pollution events.

“The application of the CICLOPE tool has enabled the implementation of an integral digital twin of the sanitation system of the Bay of Santander, which is a milestone in the management of water quality in protected areas and strengthens the capacity to respond to pollution episodes,” explains Javier García Alba, principal investigator of the CICLOPE project.

An environmental problem with global impact

The CICLOPE project arose as a response to the lack of foresight regarding the effects of discharges from sewage systems, especially during rainy episodes. This shortcoming has led to repeated closures of beaches and bathing areas, both in Spain and in other regions of the world.

Project objectives and solutions

The main objective of the project has been the development of a digital twin to serve as a predictive tool to anticipate the effects of discharges on water quality. This has been achieved through the characterization of the drained basins, the identification of overflow points and the implementation of numerical models of hydrodynamics and water quality. In addition to forecasting river flows and discharges, CICLOPE is able to estimate the evolution of fecal bacteria in the water up to 72 hours in advance, which allows compliance with the standards of the Water Framework Directive.

Impact and future application

The CICLOPE system has already demonstrated its effectiveness in the Ría de Suances and is now beginning to show its effectiveness in the Bay of Santander; highlighting its scalability, mention should be made of its current implementation process in the Ría de Urdaibai, a Biosphere Reserve that receives the discharge from the Busturialdea Sanitation (Consorcio de Aguas Bilbao Bizkaia), reinforcing its potential as a key tool in the management of protected aquatic ecosystems. In the short term, the use of CICLOPE is expected to enable sanitation managers to take timely and efficient measures to improve water quality and to reduce beach closure events in sensitive areas. In the medium and long term, this advance will contribute to public health, environmental sustainability and the development of new monitoring and predictive technologies.

“CICLOPE not only improves sanitation management, but also lays the groundwork for more efficient water management, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” concludes Javier García Alba. With the results of this project, IHCantabria reaffirms its commitment to innovation and environmental protection.

Access to the CICLOPE system is available through the following web page: https: //ihciclope.ihcantabria.com/#/home.