Enhanced Protection for Alicante's Natural and Coastal Environment Through Urban Drainage Digitalisation

Urban water management in coastal areas, especially during heavy rainfall, poses a significant challenge alongside the need to protect valuable ecosystems. The city of Alicante is taking a crucial step forward in this area through the digitalisation of its urban drainage system.

The project, titled "Execution, Supply, and Installation of Continuous Monitoring Stations for the Quality of Relief Waters to the Receiving Environment and Industrial Discharges," spearheaded by Aguas de Alicante as part of the Strategic Projects for Economic Recovery and Transformation (PERTE) of Water Digitalisation, aims to modernise and optimise the monitoring of the urban drainage system. This initiative directly addresses the new obligations set out in Royal Decree 665/2023, which requires precise characterisation, both in quantity and quality, of the operation of these facilities.

While Alicante has long had a network of level meters to control the start and end of reliefs and estimate their flow or volume, the new project will take a step further by integrating sensors and continuous measurement equipment. These devices will enable automatic and real-time recording of not only flows but also the physico-chemical or biological quality parameters of the waters flowing through the city's main relief channels during the aforementioned rainfall episodes.

The Alicante Water Control Centre will automatically receive all the collected information for subsequent storage and analysis. As a result, it will be possible to automatically generate notifications about relief events, provide complete traceability through digital records, and ultimately achieve greater accuracy and reliability in measuring and characterising discharges to the receiving environment.

The implementation of this system represents a significant qualitative change in water management in Alicante. It will expand the number of monitored relief channels and ensure full adaptation to the requirements of RD 665/2023. Additionally, it will provide even more detailed information than required, resulting in a more precise characterisation of reliefs and substantial improvements in operability and decision-making.

Aguas de Alicante is working to expedite the implementation of all projects derived from the second call of the PERTE Water Digitalisation in the municipalities where it operates and that have benefited from this award.

Its implementation will represent a qualitative leap in the digitalisation of the integral cycle through eighteen projects presented in the "Comprehensive Digitalisation Plan of Aguas de Alicante" proposal, with a total amount of €6,207,363.78. Of this, 84% funding will be received, amounting to €5,238,128.63, with the company co-financing the remaining non-subsidised actions within its annual Investment Plan.

Currently, the project "Execution, Supply, and Installation of Continuous Monitoring Stations for the Quality of Relief Waters to the Receiving Environment and Industrial Discharges" is in the offer evaluation phase, having been tendered by Aguas de Alicante within the framework of the PERTE projects. Once the contract is awarded, an installation period of no more than 32 weeks is estimated.

This initiative adds to others promoted by the company focusing on efficiency, digitalisation, and monitoring of wastewater and unitary waters. With its implementation, Alicante will position itself at the forefront in the characterisation and control of reliefs, contributing to more efficient and sustainable management of its urban drainage system and, consequently, to the protection of its natural and coastal environment.