The public water service company in Cadiz is located on Avenida María Auxiliadora.
In view of the current situation of water scarcity, the Municipal Corporation highlights the importance of efficient use of water.
Aguas de Cadiz reports that unbilled water is down from 36% in 2012 to 17% in 2022. In the form of early leak detection, renewal of supply networks and public awareness campaigns on efficient use of water which have led to an increase in warnings due to network failures. During this time, the amount of water that is not charged annually has decreased by 2,940,430 m3, a very significant figure in the climate change context in which we find ourselves.
In technical terminology, unbilled water refers to the difference between the water entering the city from the higher network and the water billed at the end. This data includes summation of network loss, connection loss, inaccuracy in meter measurement and unauthorized consumption. The municipal company states that currently the unbilled water is 17%, which is a very favorable figure, for example, this figure reached a maximum of 40% in 2007 since records became available.
In addition, Aguas de Cadiz puts physical losses in the network (the sum of losses in the network and losses in connections) at 10%, a figure lower than the national average. The municipal water company reports that there has been a significant reduction in water losses due to leakages in the city’s supply network. Specifically, it details a decrease of 643,636 m3 over the past year. The technical department has been working on this aspect since 2015 with a plan based on leak detection and renewal of the pipe network, and with which it has achieved a reduction of 34.52% compared to 2021.
The company’s technical department has developed the Early Leak Control System. “Every day our employees review and work with a computer program that detects points where there is an unexpected increase in water consumption in the network,” explains Jesús Oliden, manager of the municipal company. “We would also like to thank citizens for their participation in leak detection, which alerts us when defects are detected,” explains Oliden.
In addition, the company conducts two leak-detection campaigns every year, in which a detailed search and immediate repair of any point in the network that may be losing water is carried out. For this, the technical team is a company specialized in this field that has high-tech and precise equipment and machinery.
“In Aguas de Cadiz we are working to address the water shortage situation in three big blocks: public awareness campaigns to reduce consumption such as the current Challenge 100, unbilled water shortages and losses in the network And finally, the construction of tertiary systems for the use of reclaimed water for irrigation and flushing, for which we have already drawn up a master plan”, Oliden highlighted.
They from the Spanish Association of Public Supply and Sanitation Operators (AOpas) assure that according to official data from public water operators, water distribution networks in Spain lose a significant percentage of the water they transport. “We are upset that we have leaks in our pipes, but to rectify this situation, a significant investment in hydraulic infrastructure from all competent bodies is necessary,” stressed Luis Babiano, manager of AEOPAS.
Experts like Babiano stress the importance of reducing the losses, with 2030 Agenda Europe proposing to reduce them by 10%, the figure the city of Cádiz currently stands at. Ana Fernández, president of Aguas de Cadiz, said, “We are proud of the work we have done over the years and the European guidelines we have achieved. We always say that we strive for excellence, so we continue to make progress in this regard. Will keep.” ,
“We know that great changes will be reflected with the digitization of the company, when individual remote management meters are installed and consumers can see in real time how much m3 they spend, or the public operator itself can send an alert if It finds excessive consumption”, Fernandez wanted to point out.
Aguas de Cadiz is also moving forward in this aspect and this is reflected in the project presented in the first call to the state PERTE for digitization, which it presented in January with Chiclana Natural, which includes the co-governance of the integral water cycle. A system was given importance.
