Wall2Water

Basic information

Project Title

Wall2Water

Full project title

An innovative Green Wall that treats greywater, supports biodiversity and generates beauty

Project Description

The Wall2Water is an innovative Nature-based Solution installed in a small town in Sicily for reducing the water use of a school, replacing drinking water with non-conventional water, and regenerating the urban space. The Green Wall provides a high aesthetic impact that creates the conditions for engaging the young generation to build together a sustainable and inclusive future. A short film translated this journey of nurturing eyes, minds, and souls using cinematic language.

Geographical Scope

Cross-border/international

Project Region

CROSS-BORDER/INTERNATIONAL: Italy, Malta, Lenanon, Jordan and Tunisia

Urban or rural issues

Mainly urban

Physical or other transformations

It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)

EU Programme or fund

Yes

Which funds

ERDF : European Regional Development Fund

Description of the project

Summary

The Green Wall of Ferla is an innovative system for collecting, treating and reusing greywater installed at the school "Istituto Comprensivo Statale Valle dell'Anapo" in Ferla, Sicily, within the ENI CbC MED project NAWAMED. The system was designed by IRIDRA Srl and built by SVI.MED. Euro-Mediterranean Centre for Sustainable Development and involved various professional disciplines. In recent years, there has been an increase in research and experimentation aimed at reusing greywater by treating it with natural techniques and with solutions that use normally unused surfaces such as walls and roofs. However, few cases have progressed beyond the laboratory scale. In this context, the Green Wall of Ferla is one of Europe's first non-experimental and full-scale installations: a new green infrastructure that provides multiple ecosystem services and improves the aesthetics of urban areas by integrating a nature-based solution into a public building. It was called Wall2Water (W2W), and it brings, together with a reduction in potable water use, additional services, such as:
• Educational role for school-aged children.
• Increase biodiversity (i.e., pollinators) thanks to plant variety.
• Mitigation of heat waves by cooling building walls.
• Aesthetic improvement of budling by greening vertical surfaces.
Aiming to change the water paradigm by offering a new approach to rethink domestic wastewater as a valuable resource, W2W was pivotal in involving citizens and stakeholders. School camps, training courses and workshops ("water tables") were organised to co-design a common path for integrating non-conventional water into the water management system. Furthermore, a powerful short film was produced to reach out to the broader public and directly involve the citizens and children of Ferla. The local community is incredibly proud to host and nurture this new green infrastructure, which improves their town's aesthetics, the environment, and the quality of life of children.

Key objectives for sustainability

The project aims to switch the water paradigm by offering solutions to rethink domestic wastewater as a valuable resource. It targets a common issue: traditionally, buildings inefficiently use potable water for all purposes, even when non-potable water, known as Non-Conventional Water Resources (NCWR), could suffice. The school in Ferla was no exception, consuming 8,600 litres of water daily for 190 students. To counter this, a pilot scheme was conceived and installed. It segregates greywater, less polluted than blackwater, from washbasins and treats it using natural techniques. The treated greywater is then used for toilet flushing, significantly reducing daily water consumption by nearly 30%. The greywater from the washbasins of the students’ bathrooms is directed to a reservoir at the base of the Green Wall and then pumped to the top of the filtration system, cascading through each pot, which naturally purifies it. The cleaned water is stored and utilised to replenish toilet cisterns. The Green Wall efficiently degrades contaminants of the greywater, primarily organic substances from soaps and detergents, recreating the removal processes developed in natural wetlands. This transformation yields water, carbon dioxide, and vital minerals that serve as nutrients for the green wall's plants. Choosing natural systems over technological alternatives minimises operational costs. The design simplifies the maintenance effort minimising the costs for the Municipality.
Furthermore, the operation of the plant does not require highly qualified skills and the energy consumption, approximately 900 kWh annually, is equivalent to that of two large refrigerators. The Green Wall also provides a cooling effect during hot summer months and fosters a small ecosystem, supporting biodiversity and ecological communities. Ferla's Green Wall is an exemplary model for eco-friendly water management, addressing water scarcity while promoting sustainability and ecological diversity.

Key objectives for aesthetics and quality

Aesthetically, the Green Wall was designed to transform the school environment. Its lush, vertical planting elements provide a visually stunning display and enhance the overall ambience. The variety of plant species carefully selected for the pots on the wall adds vibrant colours and organic touch to the school surroundings throughout the year’s seasons. This not only makes the school more visually appealing but also connects students to the beauty of nature in their everyday lives. In terms of cultural benefits, the Green Wall fosters an appreciation of sustainable practices. It is a tangible example of how innovation and nature can coexist harmoniously to create a more environmentally responsible future. The project instils a sense of ecological awareness in the community and promotes a culture of respect for the environment and its conservation. The involvement of Ferla School students in the installation phase is a key aspect of the initiative. It provided a unique hands-on learning experience. The students actively participated in the installation, learning first-hand how the system works, from water collection to treatment and final reuse. This involvement deepened their understanding of the importance of responsible water management, making the educational aspect of the project more tangible and memorable. In addition, the design and cultural benefits of the Green Wall make it a symbol of change and progress. It showcases how a school can be more than just a place of learning; it can be a living laboratory that inspires children, teachers and the whole school community to adopt and enjoy a new culture of sustainability together. The project emphasises that adopting environmentally conscious practices can be practical and visually appealing. This element has been enhanced through the short film produced around the installation, which uses powerful cinematic language to translate beauty into a channel to reach a wider audience around the world.

Key objectives for inclusion

Ferla's Green Wall provides a comprehensive water management solution by recycling and reusing greywater, reducing pressure on precious freshwater resources. It offers a sustainable and economically viable model for an isolated community like Ferla, and increases access to water resources in stressed environments, like south Mediterranean areas suffering droughts.
In a notable achievement, the town of Ferla has championed, in the recent years, a conscious and eco-friendly approach to urban spaces and services, boosting a strong sense of environmental responsibility among its citizens. At the heart of Ferla's ongoing commitment to sustainability is the W2W, which embodies the values and aspirations of the community. The W2W, installed in a public school, reinforces this approach through 'sustainability for all' and fair access to beauty. Beauty in public spaces helps to break down social barriers. The Green Wall is an exemplary model of how even small communities can implement inclusive practices and actively involve the local community, fostering a sense of ownership and shared responsibility. It serves as an "educational tool" to improve environmental awareness and practical skills, as happened during making the short film. It promoted intergenerational dialogue and shared decision-making, ensuring it aligns with the community's values and needs.
The municipality of Ferla is continuously involved in the various activities related to W2W, including monitoring and supervision. Ferla, a small town in the southern Italy, has gained national recognition as a virtuous town. Its remarkable reputation is based on its unwavering commitment to sustainability and the well-being of its inhabitants. By celebrating diversity, promoting social interaction, and enhancing community well-being, Ferla's Green Wall is a source of local pride and a beacon of inspiration for communities worldwide.

Results in relation to category

The W2W saves 1000 litres of drinking water per student annually, typically flushed down the toilet, by replacing it with treated greywater. Moreover, using temperature data from sensors, the project estimated the evapotranspiration rate in different walls orientations, significantly improving water management in the Green Wall. The data collected through an online monitoring system allows for the precise analysis of temperature variations within the W2W. Hourly and daily temperature data were recorded using analogue sensors, offering insights into short-term fluctuations and long-term temperature patterns. The two-meter sensors further enabled accurate measurement of water flow rates, providing critical information on water consumption and distribution. Data are not yet available. They will be monitored thanks to the CARDIMED project. Pre- and post-treatment quality analyses have been done, confirming that the water in the W2W meets the project's design assumptions, with minimal contaminants, ensuring safety reuse.
By monitoring the impacts on biodiversity, the project confirmed the presence of various pollinators, including Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera, and Lepidoptera. This demonstrates the W2W's role in promoting biodiversity and supporting local ecosystems.
From a social and educational perspective, partners organised six workshops in Sicily and two school camps, engaging approximately 600 participants, including public authorities, professionals, academics, and national and international associations, and providing an invaluable educational experience. Moreover, the admission of the short film at many international festivals (15 to date), and the articles and papers published in national and international journals, the scientific presentations at international conferences contributed to disseminating the W2W. A dedicated website in Italian (www.pareteverdeferla.it) has been created to serve as a comprehensive resource for information and updates.

How Citizens benefit

The W2W has fostered active engagement from citizens and civil society, cultivating a profound sense of ownership and collaboration, significantly influencing the project's development and success. The project has exceeded its functional goals and extended a welcoming invitation to diverse community members, including professionals such as architects, engineers, and agronomists. Through workshops and seminars, this educational outreach has empowered the community with invaluable insights into the project's objectives, technical knowledge, and the broader spectrum of environmental issues. The project introduced a unique hands-on experience called the "school camp”. This construction site experience was meticulously organised to provide participants with direct exposure to the intricacies of the project's design and installation phases. With key figures such as the project's designer, the director of works, and the company responsible for installation present, participants gained valued first-hand insights. This experience not only enhanced their technical know-how but also laid the foundation for potential future expansions of this best practice at the provincial and regional levels. Finally, thanks to the creation of the short film "Gocce di Rugiada" (Drops of Dew), with the extraordinary participation of the community of Ferla, it was easier to involve teachers, children and their families in the care of the green wall and the pride of having this innovative solution in their town. Shot in Italian and subtitled in English, French, Arabic, Spanish, Catalan and Greek to reach the broadest possible audience, the film has received attention and recognition on a global scale. It has been selected by numerous international film festivals (15 to date) and has already won the hearts of young audiences (12/17 years old), winning the Audience Award in one of them.

Physical or other transformations

It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)

Innovative character

The W2W stands out as a pioneering initiative beyond the common green vertical gardens in many cities. While these primarily serve an aesthetic purpose, the Ferla system takes eco-friendliness to a new level by treating greywater. This innovative approach significantly reduces potable water consumption, addressing a critical global concern. In recent years, there has been growing interest in exploring methods to recycle and reuse greywater, employing natural techniques and underutilised surfaces, such as walls and roofs. These initiatives offer the dual benefits of water conservation and space optimisation. However, most of these endeavours have remained in the experimental phase, confined to the controlled environments of laboratories.
Ferla's W2W stands apart as one of the first real-scale installations. It is not merely a functional system but a new form of green infrastructure. It transcends conventional expectations by offering multiple ecosystem services and aesthetic functions within urban environments. Introducing this Nature-based Solution (NbS) into a public building sets a precedent for architectural and ecological integration in urban settings. It underscores the possibilities of sustainable infrastructure in places with a Mediterranean climate, where water scarcity and climate change are pressing concerns. This initiative demonstrates how a single local project can embody global principles of sustainability, water conservation and environmental awareness while improving the quality of life for the community.
Ferla's Green Wall project represents a paradigm shift in green architecture. It combines functionality and aesthetics while addressing vital global challenges, translated into emotion through the language of cinema. It is a demonstration to the potential of 'green infrastructure' as a model for urban development that respects nature, conserves resources and enriches the urban experience in a way that is both innovative and replicable.

Disciplines/knowledge reflected

The design and implementation of the Wall2Water involved a multidisciplinary approach, bringing together experts from various disciplines, including architecture, biology, engineering, chemistry, agronomy, project management and communications. Each field contributed its unique knowledge to ensure a well-informed and optimised project. The architects were involved in the architectural design of the Green Wall and its integration into the existing building. The biologists and agronomists were responsible for selecting the appropriate plant species supporting the treatment process, aesthetic functions and attraction of pollinators. Engineers and chemists studied and developed the operational set-up of the system and the treatment process (hydraulic, electrical, etc. design). This holistic approach took into account technical, environmental and aesthetic factors. In particular, architects worked with biologists and agronomist to maximise the wall’s aesthetics, selecting plants based on their seasonality, flowering, colours etc. Collaboration streamlined project development. Decisions were made with a deep understanding of their impact, benefits to citizens and implications, resulting in a high-quality, well-executed project. Experts gained insights from other disciplines, promoting cross-disciplinary learning. Working with communication and cinema-making professionals ensured that technical information was effectively translated for the community and beyond, such as in the short film. They acted as a bridge, facilitating understanding between the technical experts and wider audience, local or international. In summary, the multidisciplinary collaboration was crucial in delivering a well-rounded, innovative, community-engaged process that addressed different facets of sustainable urban development and water management.

Methodology used

W2W implementation is characterised by a multidimensional approach and proactive engagement at different levels, contributing significantly to developing literature on NbS and urban water use. The W2W highlights the practical and tangible applications of these concepts and provides valuable insights for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers. Further, the project organised school camps, training courses and workshops ("water tables") around the construction of the Green Wall to propose a common path for mainstreaming non-conventional water resources.
Ferla, nationally recognised as a virtuous city, exemplifies the project's robust community engagement. By incorporating intergenerational perspectives, the project becomes a unifying force in the community, bridging the knowledge gap and fostering a shared vision for sustainable water management. A vision made accessible with the short film produced around the project initiatives and directly involving the citizens and children of Ferla.
The impact of the project goes beyond the local level. Its inclusion in CARDIMED - Climate Adaptation and Resilience Demonstrated In the MEDiterranean region, a Horizon Europe project – which will monitor the W2W in the next years, underlines long-term commitment to effectiveness and sustainability. Moreover, the area surrounding the W2W will be further regenerated thanks to URWAN – Urban Regenerative Water Avant-garde(N) – a project submitted to EuroMed, which will engage the local community, enhancing a co-design process for improving the aesthetic and making the area around the green wall greener, more inclusive and multifunctional. This reinforces the value of the project's results and sets the basis for continuous improvement.
At the policy level, the project collaborated with the Regional Centre for Urban Studies of Sicily to mainstreaming the project approach and solutions for water management and urban regeneration and promoting policy changes and replication.

How stakeholders are engaged

The Green Wall project in Ferla involved various stakeholders at different levels, local and international, mainly because it took life from an international project. The consortium - made up of actors from Italy, Malta, Tunisia, Lebanon and Jordan - provided expertise, shared best practices, enabled cross-border knowledge exchange and offered a platform for the project's integration into a broader Mediterranean context.
Actors from the Ferla Municipality and the school “Institute Valle dell’Anapo” supported the design, implementation, and supervision of the W2W and now play a key role in the operation and maintenance of the system. Furthermore, it became an educational hub for citizens, technicians, and other public authorities, fostering environmental awareness and imparting practical skills. This collective involvement brought a wealth of expertise, resources, community participation, technical standards, and international context, culminating in a holistic and impactful model for sustainable urban development and water management.
Regional stakeholders, such as the Network of Technical Professions of Syracuse and the Regional Centre for Urban Studies of Sicily, essential partners for municipalities seeking to address the complex challenges of urbanisation, enabled the translation of this experience at a technical and governance level. A co-designed document, resulting from the "water tables" organised during the 4 years of the project, addressed to the Sicilian Municipalities, provides the basis for implementing the Regional Standard Building Code (RET). On the one hand, it establishes the general principles on which construction activities must be based, and on the other, it invites the local administrations to define the specific local regulations of each municipality according to the characteristics of its territory to allow the management of water-related issues at domestic and urban levels.

Global challenges

The Ferla W2W provides a localised solution to address several interconnected global challenges. It showcases the potential of community-led initiatives to create meaningful change while providing inspiration and practical lessons that can be applied to similar contexts around the world. The project addresses the problem of water scarcity, a global challenge exacerbated by climate change. By treating and allowing the reuse of greywater, the W2W significantly reduces the demand for potable water, helping to conserve this vital resource. Differently from other sources of Non-Conventional Water, such as rain, greywater is produced regularly, in the same spot where it can be reused, i.e., the building, leading to a win-win solution. This approach can be a model for communities worldwide seeking to mitigate water scarcity issues while regenerating the city.
Another global challenge is the urban heat island effect, where urban areas experience significantly higher temperatures due to human activity and the extensive use of concrete and asphalt. The W2W fights this effect by introducing vegetation directly into urban structures. Plants naturally absorb sunlight and provide shade, reducing the heat absorbed by buildings. Through transpiration, plants release water vapour, further cooling the surrounding area.
As a NbS, the W2W also promotes biodiversity. It creates a small ecosystem that attracts a variety of pollinators, contributing to the conservation of local biodiversity. This demonstrates the potential for urban and architectural design to address the global issue of biodiversity loss while enhancing aesthetics. Rapid urbanisation often leads to the depletion of green spaces, negatively affecting aesthetics, community well-being and local ecosystems.The W2W, as part of the urban regeneration, reintroduces green spaces into the urban fabric.It revitalises the urban landscape, enhances aesthetics and creates an environment where both people and nature can thrive.

Learning transferred to other parties

Excellent results have been achieved by installing the W2W, even in an urban context where relatively little water is consumed, i.e., a school with less than two hundred pupils. Imagine installing it in sports centres, or perhaps where there is a need to irrigate a green area, in addition to filling toilet flush tanks. Green spaces that are increasingly suffering from the impossibility of being watered by aqueducts in times of drought, which is becoming more and more frequent. It is a project that can be recreated on unused walls, does not require much space and can certainly be a great tool in places particularly prone to droughts. It requires little maintenance and, given its many benefits, is a key element in achieving the urban development plans for sustainable cities that we so desperately need. In the project, the W2W was retrofitted to an existing building, bringing the benefits of greening and regenerating a neglected urban space. It can always be designed with the specific needs of the target site or building and adapt it to all requirements. Moreover, it could be directly integrated into the architectural design of new constructions or large renovations, contributing to increasing the green surfaces of our cities with no burdens on freshwater resources. NAWAMED's mission extended beyond Ferla, in Lebanon, Jordan and Tunisia. This initiative represents a significant step forward in improving urban water management and promoting sustainability in the Mediterranean region. However, this type of system in Europe has not yet been harnessed as it should. This is one of the reasons for including Ferla's W2W as a demonstration site in the CARDIMED project, which aims to demonstrate the potential of innovative NbS in the European context, ensuring their adaptability in different regions. The short film, freely available to all, facilitates this process by sharing the culture of reuse while providing up-to-date practical information.