Another difficulty that drought has brought to light is the low performance of some distribution networks, either due to fraud or leaks caused by the age of the pipes. To remedy it, the Catalan Water Agency (ACA) offers grants to the municipalities that propose repair and modernize their supply networks.
The treatments to clean up and regenerate water and the infrastructures for purification and desalination have a high cost
“All this has a very high cost. And the money to pay for it must be withdrawn from water canonwhich depends on the ACA, or the fee that the consumer pays, municipal competence”, warns in statements to EL PERIÓDICO daniel milanpresident of the technical commission of ASAC (Association of Water Services of Catalonia), that progresses like this a possible increase in the price of water.
“You can raise the water canon, which depends on the ACA, or the water rate, which depends on the municipalities”
Daniel Milan, ASAC
The director of the ACA, samuel reyesin the last press conference he gave after the Executive Council of the Government, did not rule out a future fee increasealthough he specified that there were other measures to cover the necessary investments. However, the main association of supply companies, which assumes more than 80% of the distribution networks and includes Aigues of Barcelona, Aqualia either ATL (Ens d’Abastament d’Aigües Ter-Llobregat), you don’t see many other exits.
Joan Carles Ferratevice president of ASAChas raised the same during a round table held this Tuesday in Igualada (Anoia) under the title ‘Less water and lower quality: the challenges of water resource management in Catalonia’. ferrate spoke of the need for new infrastructure: “We need accelerate its construction to solve some problems, but all This forces us to talk about the cost. Will it be paid via Canyon or via fee?”.
water fraud
Milan warns that small municipalities have great difficulties to raise enough money Allow them to make repairs. “ACA grants are important, but they are a copaythe consistories have to put part of the money,” he clarifies.
In this point, Milan warn of the dangers of extreme bureaucratization: “You have to be very careful with this, sometimes the bureaucracy is slow. And the money of the Administration has to arrive as soon as possible”. Health Department to be agile when it comes to giving certain authorizations: “If it is necessary to carry out new treatments like those of the Besòs or open a new well for the supply, the approval of the ‘conselleria’ is needed. And these processes cannot wait.”
“Sometimes the bureaucracy is slow. And the money from the Administration has to reach them as soon as possible”
Daniel Milan, ASAC
Another topic that has been put on the table during the day is the low performance of some networks. In other words, the fact that some towns have high water consumption caused by network lossesthe purges or the frauds“which are one of the outstanding problems that hurt performance“. To put a solution to this, it will also require a overexertion by municipalities and companies.
Low quality
How do you explain that the water quality has worsened because of the drought? “It is explained by the scarcity of resources. When in the there are few aquifers of water, the sulfates or salts are less diluted“, says Milan. This makes sanitation difficult.
This 2023, a law has entered into force directive Europe that still requires a higher quality. “To achieve this, it will take investment. There is no other way”, settles the representative of ASAC. ferrate recognizes that the situation is complex: “We didn’t have a good time, resources are limited and demand is maintained. Cooperation between the agents involved and the promotion of water recirculation, for example through regeneration, will be essential”.
The recent rains have allowed the entry into the emergency phase to be postponed until October
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Despite the difficulties, in the sector there is a relative optimism, since the scenario of the water crisis has forced everyone to “get their act together”. They ask that this time they do not remain homework to be done, as happened in 2008, and that Catalonia is prepared for the droughts of the future.
The director of the ACA, who has also participated in the meeting, has assured that the increase in reservations that has occurred in May and June postponed a month and a half or more entry into emergency phase: “This it would be in octoberwhich is when the rains theoretically arrive, so we’ll see what happens.” Kings, with these words, opens the door to a scenario in which the emergency is not declared. Now the reserves of the reservoirs are at 30%. It remains to be seen if within three months they will have risen more or have fallen again.