Basic information about the project

Title of the project:

Innovative nature-based solutions for the elimination of nutrients and veterinary pharmaceuticals from livestock agricultural runoff

Acronym:

LIFE4FARMS

Reference number: LIFE25-ENV-CZ-LIFE4FARMS/101294964
Akronym: LIFE25-ENV-CZ-LIFE4FARMS

Status:

Projekt in progress

Budget: 2 595 064 €

EU Contribution: 1 557 038 €

Project implementation period:

1.9.2026 – 31.8.20308

Cooperation partners and contact persons:

Coordinator: Technická univerzita v Liberci
Legal status: public
Address: Studentská 1402/2, 461 17 Liberec, Česká republika
Contact: Miroslav Černík, life4farms@tul.cz

Objectives and content:

Pollution from livestock farming poses an escalating threat to water resources, with pharmaceutical residues, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, pathogens, and excess nutrients from over 130 million cattle and 230 million pigs across the EU. The LIFE4FARMS project introduces Wet4Agro, an enhanced nature-based solution (eNBS) to simultaneously remove nutrients, veterinary drugs, pathogens, and resistance genes from livestock wastewater. It combines strategic drainage, advanced substrates (pumice, ceramic shards), and wetlands to achieve >70% nitrogen removal and >80% elimination of pharmaceuticals, including antibiotics and hormones. Three full-scale prototypes will be built: one in the Czech Republic and two in the Azores (Portugal), treating ~40,000 m³/a under diverse climates and farming conditions. Wet4Agro systems are site-specific, influenced by pollutant loads, climate, hydrology, land, and local resources. LIFE4FARMS will use prototype experience to create a Decision Support Framework, streamlining replication, enabling climate-aware design, process control, and maintenance. Aligned with EU Green Deal ‘Water’ and Circular Economy priorities, Wet4Agro offers benefits over conventional WWTPs: 40 t CO2eq/year reduction, 6 MWh/year energy savings, biodiversity gains, and low construction and operational costs. A replication pipeline aims to mobilise €1,000,000 in follow-up investments. These will be the first large-scale, single-stage systems to remove nutrients, pharmaceuticals, and pathogens, integrating natural treatment, IoT sensors, and AI-based decision support. Three prototype demonstrations will verify feasibility, scalability, and environmental sustainability for farms: improving water quality, biodiversity, and resilience while reducing odour, costs, and risks, setting new standards for sustainable water management in agriculture.