The Vall d'Uixó City Council and Facsa The town's Water Forum was held this Wednesday, bringing together leading experts in the sector. The event, focused on the efficient management of water resources, took place at the Palau de Vivel in La Vall d'Uixó and addressed both the current water scarcity and practical solutions for mitigating it.
The event was opened by Fernando Darós, the city councilor responsible for the Water Cycle, who emphasized the importance of adopting proactive and collaborative measures in water management. Following this, Belén Sánchez-Rubio, head of the Water Collection and Quality Department at Facsa, and Miguel Ortiz, the company's Deputy Technical Director of Water Supply, gave two presentations focusing on drought management and the current situation.
First, Sánchez-Rubio explained that water scarcity can be both structural and cyclical, offering a detailed analysis of the status of the Territorial Units (UTES) and highlighting the low values of the current sub-indicators. She also described the measures needed to address different scarcity scenarios, from normal to emergency, and stressed the need for clear and simple indicators to evaluate the effectiveness of the actions taken. "The best way to know if we are responding well to a drought is through measurement," she stated, emphasizing the importance of constant and rigorous monitoring.
Miguel Ortiz continued with an analysis of the current situation in the province, highlighting the challenges related to water quantity and quality, including problems with turbidity, sulfates, chlorides, and pesticides. "Both the quantity and quality of water are the challenge we face," Ortiz pointed out, also mentioning the impact of the 2023 Royal Decree that establishes the technical and health criteria for drinking water quality, its control and supply, and which introduces stricter regulations.
Ortiz also addressed Facsa's actions to improve water quality and assist municipalities in developing emergency plans. He emphasized the importance of pressure management, monitoring, and the construction of treatment plants. "In La Vall d'Uixó, Facsa has implemented measures such as network sectorization, the installation of smart meters, and the construction of a treatment plant. Since 1997, water losses have been reduced by 661%."«
The second part of the day focused on water reuse, with a presentation by Sergio Alonso, Deputy Director of Wastewater Treatment Plant Operations at Facsa. Alonso highlighted the global challenges of water and the circular economy, emphasizing the importance of reusing treated wastewater in Spain. "The Valencian Community is a leader with 490 wastewater treatment plants in operation, and Castellón has 128. La Vall d'Uixó plays a crucial role in this area, with a high level of quality in the reuse of treated wastewater," Alonso noted.
The forum culminated in a round table moderated by Belén Sánchez-Rubio and with the participation of Miguel Polo, president of CHJ, Tania Baños, mayor of La Vall d'Uixó, Vicente Ambou, president of the Irrigation Community of La Vall d'Uixó and Pascual Maximino, director of the Supply Area at Facsa, who opened the session by sending a reassuring message about the situation and stressed "the importance of planning and collaboration of all administrations and actors involved in the sector to be able to face situations of scarcity.".
Finally, Tania Baños closed the event by highlighting the importance of collaboration and innovation in water management to ensure a sustainable future. "It is necessary to manage this resource from a collaborative perspective and with an eye to the future," Baños concluded.
