This section aims to introduce each beneficiary, explain their sector, and describe their work within the framework of the project. Today, it is the turn of Margaud Pérémé, from ECOFILAE.
What is ECOFILAE?
ECOFILAE is a French SME specialising in water reuse. The company brings extensive technical expertise to the development of sustainable solutions for treating and reusing water across a wide range of settings, from urban infrastructure to rural agricultural environments.
How long have you been working at ECOFILAE, and what has been your career path and role within the organisation?
What do you enjoy most about your work?
What I find most rewarding is the combination of innovation and tangible impact. Working in the innovation department of a private company means that the solutions we develop are not merely theoretical; they are applied in real-world projects with measurable outcomes. It is particularly rewarding to see a methodology or tool you have worked on being put into practice in the next project your colleagues undertake.
Is this ECOFILAE’s first participation in a European project?
No. ECOFILAE has already taken part in five European projects, giving the company solid experience in this type of collaborative framework. What we value most is the opportunity to exchange knowledge and perspectives with partners from a wide range of national and professional backgrounds. These exchanges constantly challenge our assumptions and enrich our approach in ways that would be difficult to achieve if we were working in isolation.
What is the appeal of SOLLAGUA to ECOFILAE?
SOLLAGUA helps bridge the gap between water reuse and nature-based solutions, a key step forward in the development of water reuse projects. At present, most water reuse schemes rely on large activated sludge treatment plants. We are particularly interested in initiatives that promote water reuse through smaller-scale systems in rural settings. This is an area that is often overlooked, yet we consider it to be both technically stimulating and highly relevant from a societal perspective.
What is ECOFILAE’s mission in the SOLLAGUA project?
ECOFILAE is responsible for the economic and environmental assessment of water reuse systems based on nature-based solutions. More specifically, this involves evaluating the cost-effectiveness of different treatment configurations and assessing their environmental footprint, providing decision-makers with the evidence they need to identify the most sustainable and viable options.
Currently, what are you engaged in?
We have completed the main analytical tasks planned for the project. At this stage, our work is focused on supporting the other work packages, particularly the communication team, by preparing more accessible and reader-friendly versions of our results, while also providing technical support for the project’s remaining activities.
What are the main challenges you are currently facing?
The work we carry out, focused on life cycle assessment and cost-benefit analysis, is highly technical and can be challenging for audiences without a specialist background. Our main challenge has been translating these methodologies and their findings into clear, accessible language, enabling stakeholders, local communities and decision-makers to understand them and use them to support informed decision-making.
What are the key findings to date?
En el contexto rural, hemos comprobado que las soluciones basadas en la naturaleza suelen ser la opción más rentable desde el punto de vista económico. Además, en términos de impacto ambiental, generalmente presentan una huella menor que los sistemas de tratamiento convencionales.
What do you think SOLLAGUA’s contribution will be after the end of the project in scientific, social and economic terms?
From a practical perspective, the project’s results will be directly integrated into ECOFILAE’s technical and communication activities, further strengthening our expertise in this field. More broadly, we believe the project’s findings will help accelerate the uptake of water reuse solutions with a lower environmental footprint and greater socio-economic value for the communities that adopt them, at a time when the efficient use of water resources is becoming increasingly urgent.