Background Oil, fats or hydrocarbons commonly comprise around 2% of wastewater content. These organic compounds can present a challenge for traditional wastewater treatment systems due to the toxicity of the sludge by-products that remain after treatments. In Spain, according to data from the national registry of sludges, around 1.2 million tonnes (dry matter) of this sludge is produced annually and 8% of it is dumped in landfills. New solutions for treating oil, fats, and hydrocarbons in wastewater are needed in order to find ways of reusing the organic compounds and reducing pressure on landfill. Such solutions will make useful contributions to EC directives such as 2000/60/CE and 271/91/CEE. Objectives The main objective of the LIFE-PURIWAT project is to design and development a pilot plant, with a treatment capacity of 5000 dm3 per hour, which will be able to remove between 97% and 99% of hydrocarbons, oil and fats from wastewater, thereby satisfying the requirements of current European directives (91/271/EC and 2000/60/EG). The project’s pilot plant will use a filter with a specific elastomeric material and a biodegradation system comprising microorganisms that can degrade or remove contaminants. This will allow for the target organic materials to be either separated and reused for secondary purposes, or eliminated altogether. The project’s technology will be tested on different types of wastewater to demonstrate its broad potential application. Expected results: The LIFE-PURIWAT project aims to achieve the following results: Demonstration of a pilot plant, with a treatment capacity of 5000 dm3/ hour, capable of reducing the content of oil, fats and hydrocarbons in wastewater by between 97% and 99%; Development of a filter that does not absorbs water and can retain organic contaminants of more than 100% in weight from wastewater; Reduce the discharge of these contaminants to less than 2%; Reuse of the purified water as high quality water for non-potable purposes; Develop a technology capable of being applied in different sectors and in different types of locations; Adaptability of the plant to different installations, which will allow for the treatment of wastewaters from different sources.