Drinking Water in Barcelona

Gabriela Cembrano

IRI, CETAQUA

Researcher at Institut de Robòtica i Informàtica Industrial (UPC-CSIC)

Project Manager at CETAQUA

Gabriela Cembrano

The Urban Water Cycle

Before use: Intake

Treatment

Transport and Storage

Distribution

After Use:

Consumption

Urban drainage

Treatment/regeneration

Recycling

Release to environment

4 sources of supply

Desalinated sea water (2009)

Underground water from

Llobregat aquifer

Superficial water from Llobregat river Superficial

water from Ter river

Wells from Besòs river

2 WTP’s 1 WTP 1 WTP

Water Supply in Barcelona

The WTP at Sant Joan Despí

Treatment Plant processes

Pre-treatment Clarification Ozone-carbon treatment Final disinfection Membrane filtering (RED, IO)

Supplies and Demands

Limited Supplies for the Barcelona Metropolitan Area

Sources

Total storage capacity: 612 hm3

Yearly demand: 615 hm3

Barcelona Metropolitan Area

Reservoir Capacities

Ratio yearly demand/ storage capacity approx 1!

Desalination

Llobregat

Ter

Besòs

An Interconnected Network

A complex supply problem

Problems of the Barcelona water system:

Semi-arid weather, limited availability Limited infrastructure, no slackness Poor water quality in one main supply Low mineralization in desalinated

water Growing population and demand

The Ter-Llobregat Basin

The SOSTAQUA Project:Developments Towards Sustainabilty in the Urban Water Cycle (2007-10)

Industrial Partners: Agbar, Degremont, Dow Chemical Ibérica, Cementos Molins Industrial, Clabsa, Labaqua, Sener, Solvay, Emuasa, Cric, Canaragua, Auma, Remosa, Amphos 21, Stc, Sineria.

Public Research Institutions: UPC, CSIC, UB, UAB, UVa, UdGUAH, GIRO, CTM, URV, UG, UDC, ULPGC, IQS

10 research lines in:• Water• Energy• Waste

http://www.sostaqua.com

Work lines in SOSTAQUA

SOSTAQUA, Line 4: Optimal management of water supply

1. Goals:• To design a decision support

software tool for real-time water supply management

2. Techniques:• Real-time control and supervision• Optimization• Simulation

Water Supply Management Goals Demand-supply balance Reservoir management Ecologic flow guarantee in rivers Flood prevention Hydroelectric power generation Acquisition, transport, treatment

costs Combined water quality to users

An example of DSS

Conclusions

Water supply in Barcelona involves challenges:

Social Quality-of-service Economic Energetic Environmental