Strategies for sustainable water management in the face of

scarcity and drought: the case of Barcelona

David SauriDepartament de Geografia

Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

OUTLINE

• Introduction• Challenges• Opportunities• (Conventional) Solutions• Conflicts• (Alternative) Solutions• Conclusions: Which way ahead?

The water supply system in Barcelona

• ATLL (“Aigües Ter Llobregat”): public company belonging to the Regional Department of the Environment. Distributes bulk water to companies supplying the cities of the Metropolitan Region of Barcelona.

• AGBAR: private company (70% of capital belongs to Suez Environnement since October 2009). Distributes water to domestic customers in Barcelona and Metropolitan Area.

• AGBAR is the largest water company of Spain supplying 13 million people in 1200 municipalities.It also supplies 10 million customers in Algeria, Chile, China, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico and the United Kingdom.

ATLL Distribution network

Water stored in Barcelona reservoirs. January 2006 to April 2008

ACA, 2008

August 2006

February 2008

• CHALLENGES

Average annual precipitation of Catalonia inner basins. HIstogram (blue) indicates variation in precipitation with respect to the average value 1940-2007. The line (red) indicates variation in accumulated annual precipitation with respect to the average accumula ted annual precipitation

ACA 2008

Simulated evolution of water stored in the reservoi rs of the Ter –Llobregat system

0

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60040 42 43 45 46 47 49 50 52 53 54 56 57 59 60 62 63 64 66 67 69 70 71 73 74 76 77 79 80 81 83 84 86 87 88 90 91 93 94 96 97 98 00 01 03 04 05 07

Vol

um a

fi d

e m

es (

hm3 )

Alerta

Excepcionalitat Emergència I,II,III i IV

The worst situation in 67 years!!

ACA, 2008

HISTORICAL EVOLUTION OF URBAN LAND USE IN THE MRB

Middle Ages 1880

1957 1992

From J. Acebillo i R. Folch: Atles Ambiental de l’À rea de Barcelona, Barcelona, Ed. Ariel, 2000.

Population change in the city of Barcelona. 1981-2008

population change in Barcelona 1981-2008

1.350.000

1.400.000

1.450.000

1.500.000

1.550.000

1.600.000

1.650.000

1.700.000

1.750.000

1.800.000

1981

1986

1991

1996

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

year

popu

latio

n

Poopulation change in the Metropolitan Region of Barcelona

1981-2008

Population change Metropolitan Region of Barcelona

3800000

4000000

4200000

4400000

4600000

4800000

5000000

1981

1986

1991

1996

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

year

popu

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Urban sprawl in the Mediterranean coast and water

consumption

Suburbanization and the proliferation of low dense residential fabrics is not only a problem of Barcelona but also strongly affect the Spanish Mediterranean coast and other parts of Europe

In Spain, and concretely in the Mediterranean, this is a very important issue regarding water resources conservation

Water consumption in the dense city: around 130 lpd (liters/person/day)Water consumption in suburban areas: > 200 lpd, wit h cases >500 lpd

Urban Density and domestic water consumption

Relació entre el consum facturat d'aigua domèstica i la densitat urbana

en una mostra de municipis de l'àrea metropolitana de Barcelona

(1999)

Arenys de Munt

Premià

de Dalt

St. Adrià del

BesòsSabadell

Martorell

St. Feliu de

Llobregat

L'Hospitalet

Matadepera

Cabrera

de Mar

Sitges

Barcelona

0

2.500

5.000

7.500

10.000

12.500

15.000

17.500

20.000

22.500

25.000

27.500

30.000

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500

litres/habitant/dia

hab/Km

2 urban

itzat

Rivera, Capellades, Saurí, 2001

• OPPORTUNITIES

Very dense urban pattern

Population density of Barcelona: near 17.000 persons/sq kilometre

London: 4.500 persons/sq kilometre

Los Angeles: 2.990 persons/sq kilometre

High Efficiencies of water distribution networks

• 98 % of domestic water is metered

Physical efficiencies of delivery networks:

• “Aigües Ter-Llobregat” (ATLL): 97%• “Aigües de Barcelona” (AGBAR): 93 % (*)

(*) Does not include losses by faulty meters or frauds (about 10% of all water delivered on the average for Barcelona)

Water price in Catalonia. Comparisons with other areas (euros/cubic meter)

Water prices in Spanish cities 2009 (*)

(*) Cost for a bill of 175 m3/year

Water consumption for selected European Cities (2006)

Domestic water consumption in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona.

Evolution of domestic water consumption of the Metr opolitan Area of Barcelona (20 municipalities)*

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136

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

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1996

1997

1998

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cubi

c he

ctom

eter

s

ACA, 2006

Water savings by Barcelona citizens during the drought of 2008

El Periódico, 22 september 2008

• (CONVENTIONAL) SOLUTIONS

July 2009: Barcelona goes Desal!

July 2008. Source: ATLL

The New Cornucopia? Desalination plants along the

Mediterranean coast

Desalination plants as the compromise solution to the tension between increasing demands of water (increase of the supply) along the Mediterranean coast and “New Water Culture” of the donor basins

In 2009 desalination plants are expected to supply around 1,250 cubic hm3.

• CONFLICTS

The “Barcelona water war” (1992-1999)

• Between 1987 and 1993, average prices for domestic uses in BMA rose from 0.59 to 1.23 euros/cubic meter (an increase of 108%).

• In 1991 the Catalan government raised substantially the water bill adding new taxes to pay for wastewater treatment plants required by the European Wastewater Directive

• Neighborhood community groups in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona stopped paying the tax part of the water bill in protest for the raise.

The “Barcelona water war” (1992-1999)

• Main reasons for the revolt: In Barcelona, taxes for domestic water where higher than in other cities of Spain, and they were four times comparatively higher than those charged in the industrial sector

• Moreover, it was reported that golf courses remained exempt of the hydraulic tax during the period 1991-1996

• The area potentially affected by the tax revolt covered a total of 23 municipalities and a total population of 2.6 million people.

• A At the end of the 1990s more than 80,000 families objected to the payment of taxes.

• The disproportionate fraction of cost of environmental modernization by the lower income segments of the metropolitan population

The Geography of the Barcelona Water War

The struggle against the Ebro water transfer (2001)

• National Water Plan of 2001: Ebro water transfer to Catalonia, and to Valencia, Murcia and Almeria

• Opposition of “donor” regions (Aragon+southern Catalonia)

• Arguments- Deepening uneven development between

inland Spain and the coastal areas- Impacts on the Ebro delta

- Need of a “new water culture” not based on big projects

C a r t a g e n a

B a r c e l o n a

T a r r a g o n a

C a s t e l l ód e l a P l a n a

V a l è n c i a

A l a c a n t

M ú r c i a

A l m e r i aA g u a d u l c e

N í j a r

S o r b a s

V e n t a d e l P o b r e

B a z a

L o r c aT o t a n a

A l h a m ad e M ú r c i a

O j ó s

C i e z a

J u m i l l a

Y e c l a

M u l a

V i l l e n a

A l c o r a

A m p o s t a

T o r t o s a

R e u s

V i l a f r a n c ad e l P e n e d é s

E l V e n d r e l l

a n z o r a E m b a s s a m e n t d e C u e v a s d eA l m a n z o r a

T ú n e l d e lS a l t a d o r

E m b a s s a m e n td e T a l a v e

T r a n s v a s a m e n tT a j o - S e g u r a

E m b a s s a m e n td ' A z o r í n ( n o u )

E m b a s s a m e n td e T o u s

C a p t a c i ód e X e r t a

C a p t a c i ód eC a m p - r e d ó

P l a n t a d e t r a c t a m e n td 'A b r e r a

E l x

7 4 2 k m7 0 06 5 06 0 05 5 05 0 04 5 04 0 03 5 03 0 02 5 02 0 01 5 01 0 05 00

5 0 0 m

4 0 0

3 0 02 0 0

1 0 0 T o r t o s a

R i uM i j a r e s R i u

T ú r i a

V i l l e n a

A g u a d u l c e

B a r c e l o n a1 9 0 h m 3 , ( 1 7 2 k m )

J u c a r3 1 5 h m 3 , ( 3 6 1 k m )

S e g u r a4 5 0 h m 3( 5 2 8 k m )

A l m e r i a , 9 5 h m 3( 7 4 2 k m )

D i s t a n c e

V O L U M E O F W A T E R T R A N S F E R E DA N D D I S T A N C E S

S O U T H E R N S E C T I O N

T o r t o s a

S e r r aP e d r e g o s a A b r e r a

3 0 0 m

2 0 0

1 0 0

0 5 0 1 0 0 1 5 0 1 7 2 k m

N O R T H E R N S E C T I O N

P R O J E C T E D T R A N S F E R

C a n a l s 3 3 2 k m

T u n n e l s 9 6 k m

P i p e s 3 9 1 k m

S i p h o n s 8 3 k m

A q u e d u c t s 1 2 k m

R e s e r v o i r s ( s m a l l s ) 2 1 k m

R e s e r v o i r s ( l a r g e ) 1 k m

C o s t ( e u r o s ) 4 . 0 9 1 m i l i o n s

2 %A q u e d u c t

1 1 %T u n n e l3 6 %C a n a l

5 1 %P i p e

T H E P R O J E C T E D E B R O W A T E R T R A N S F E R ( 2 0 0 1 )

F i n a l p r o p o s a l

A l t e r n a t i v e s o l u t i o n s

• (ALTERNATIVE) SOLUTIONS

Wastewater plant of El Prat de Llobregat

• Year of construction: 2002 (2006)• Type of treatment: Biological with N and P removal• Capacity: 420.000 m3 daily (population equivalent

of 2.275.000)

• Wastewater treated: 700 Hm3/year• Treated wastewater reused: 30% (2015)

Flood retention areas in Barcelona

WATER SAVINGS AT HOME: TECHNOLOGIES AND SYSTEMSWATER SAVINGS AT HOME: TECHNOLOGIES AND SYSTEMS

**Ecoaigua I Departament de Medi Ambient i Habitatge

For Flats

TECHNOLOGY Maximum potential savings

Dual flushing systems

Thermostatic tap+ flow regulator

Taps with flow regulators

50%*

50%*

30%*

Taps

Showers

WC’s

Indoor consumption

For condominiums and houses

TECHNOLOGY Maximum potential savingsIndoor consumption

Same as in flats

Outdoor consumption

A)

B)

C) Use of efficient irrigation systems

20- 40%

4-10 %

• Greywater is low polluted water which includes all the wastewater produced in a household with the exception of the wastewater from toilet flushing

• After treatment, greywater may be reused on site• Uses given to greywater: toilet flushing, garden watering and laundry

Example: GREYWATER REUSE

• Collection of rainwater runoff generated from an impermeable surface and its storage for later use

• Components of the system: catchments area, gutters, storage tank

RAINWATER HARVESTING

Urban rainwater harvesting systems

Rural rainwater harvesting systems

Water Savings Ordinance of Sant Cugat del Vallès

In operation since 15 november 2002

For residential uses especially

For new buildings and large renovations

Mandatory installation of Pressure regulators in taps

Air flows in showers

Dual flushing systems in toilets

Timers (public buildings)

Rain water deposits (gardens > 1.000 m 2)

Pool water re-use (gardens>40m 2)

Grey water use systems (> 8 housing units)

Tot edifici

Condicionat

• CONCLUSIONS

Which way ahead?• Drought and scarcity conditions have become a “normal” state of

affairs for Barcelona during the last decade.

• Despite favorable conditions (high density urbanism, metering, high prices and sound conservation attitudes) water demand will continue to grow in the future

• Last episode (2007-2008) ended with desalinization as the main alternative together with water conservation and water re-use as important management options as well

• End of large scale water transfers? What will happen with the Rhone project now that Suez Environnemenent controls water supply in Barcelona?

• Interesting debate with important implications for sustainability: large scale centralized systems for wastewater and rainwater or small scale decentralized systems at the scale of the household coupled withdomestic technologies for saving water? (as in the energy field)?