Strategic projects for economic recovery and transformation (PERTE): digitization of the water cycle

The control and correct management of water use in Spain is a constant challenge, in which the different administrations work in a coordinated manner for its correct management. This project promotes the use of new information technologies in the integral water cycle , which will improve its management, increase its efficiency, reduce losses in supply networks and advance in compliance with the environmental objectives set by the hydrological planning and international regulations.

The PERTE for digitalization of the water cycle was configured in its drafting as a strategic project with the forecast of mobilizing 3,060 million euros in public and private investments in the coming years. It also seeks to activate the creation of nearly 3,500 quality jobs, opening new professional niches in water management in fields such as engineering, data processing, science and telecommunications professionals.

• It will finance aid programs to promote the digitalization of different water users. The main objective of these subsidies is to advance the protection of the environment, improve the management of water resources and the fight against climate change and the demographic challenge.
• Throughout this year and in 2023, several calls for aid will be launched for administrations and entities competent in the urban water cycle , industry and for communities of irrigators and groundwater users. This line of action has a direct investment of 1,700 million euros, which will involve an additional mobilization of 1,120 million in public-private collaboration.
• 200 million euros will be allocated to digitalization in irrigation . Among other measures, these aid will be aimed at increasing the implementation of meters at water intakes and on plots, improving soil humidity and conductivity control systems, increasing the measurement of fertilizer contributions or automating irrigation systems. .
• PERTE proposes an investment of 225 million euros to modernize and promote digitalization in basin organizations and Automatic Hydrological Information Systems. Beyond facilitating the digitalization of administrative procedures, the project will serve to strengthen discharge monitoring and control programs through real-time monitoring systems.

Regarding the regulatory framework that accompanies all these changes, the PERTE contemplates, among other measures, a modification of the Water Law that includes advances in digitalization and an update of the Hydraulic Public Domain Regulation that relies on remote sensing in control. of water uses and establish the technological conditions for new uses. In addition, the Water Management Observatory in Spain will be created , a governance tool that will allow maintaining all the digital infrastructure that is going to be implemented.

According to the data provided in the  addendum to the Recovery Plan  approved by the European Commission on October 2, 2023, the PERTE for Digitalization of the Water Cycle will have an  additional 3,055 million euros , due to its relevance to strategic autonomy with, among others. , investments to improve desalination capacity and efficiency in the Internal Basins of Catalonia (Tordera II and Foix) and in the Hydrographic Demarcation of the Andalusian Mediterranean Basins (Costa del Sol and Levante Almeria).