Innovative 1.9 million euro project will use AI to control contaminants in thermal waters

"AQUAPRED" plans to use advanced technologies in the management of Mineromedicinal Waters in six of the consortium's spas through the digitalization of data in real time and the continuous analysis of the water's fundamental parameters.

Controlling and preventing the presence of contaminants in Mineromedicinal Waters through Artificial Intelligence. This is the aim of the international project "AQUAPRED", which includes the participation of Termas de Chaves, AQUAVALOR - Centro de Valorização e Transferência de Tecnologia da Água (CoLAB) and the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança. Worth around 1.9 million euros, it brings together a consortium of six thermal spas and entities from Portugal, Spain and France. The public presentation of the project took place recently at the Balneario Termal de Laias, in Ourense (Spain).

The consortium will develop a system that will allow the fundamental elements of the waters to be controlled preventively and automatically, using Artificial Intelligence. How? By digitizing data in real-time and continuously analyzing the parameters obtained. In addition, a Deep Learning model will be developed to anticipate the presence of microorganisms such as Legionella and E.coli. In this way, it will be possible to minimize possible risks and maximize the medicinal properties of the water, further increasing the scientific basis on the subject.

The project thus ensures control of the unique properties of Thermal Water, safeguarding the Thermalists who use it. Thermal treatments are increasingly sought after to promote health in a natural way and as an alternative solution to more conventional and invasive therapies.

"AQUAPRED" is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and has a duration of 3 years. Several research institutions are taking part in this project, such as the University of Vigo, the University of A Coruña, the Complutense University of Madrid in Spain, the Portuguese AQUAVALOR - Centro de Valorização e Transferência de Tecnologia da Água (CoLAB) and the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, as well as the Thermal Institute of the University of Bordeaux, the University of Pau and the "Aqui O Thermes" thermal cluster in France. Other partners are institutions linked to Thermalism, namely, in Portugal, the Empresa Municipal de Equipamentos de Chaves (Termas de Chaves) and the Comunidade Intermunicipal de Viseu Dão Lafões and, in Spain, the Balnearios de El Raposo and de Hervideros, the Caldaria Group (Balneario de Lais) and the Iberik Group (Balneario de Augas Santas).