Last week, the Spanish National Water Council presented the draft royal decree approving the Regulation on water reuse, as well as two draft orders aimed at promoting the efficient use of this resource, announced The Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge.
The session was chaired by the Vice-President of the Government and Minister for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, Teresa Ribera, who said: "In accordance with our own water situation, we understand that it is advisable not only to reflect in the planning an adequate estimate of the resources available in any scenario, but also to make use of those additional resources that can be integrated into the system: maximum efficiency and additional contributions from desalination and reuse; all with the great advantage of having a very positive previous experience that is also valued at European level.”
The first order is an update of a previous one, from 2009, which allows further progress in the modernisation of management through digitalisation, regulating the electronic control systems of the volumes for different water uses, returns and discharges into the public waters.
The second, which also updates a previous order from 2006, allows for the development of the legal regime of the entities collaborating with the water authorities in matters of water use and protection of public waters, an example of collaboration between water authorities and sector actors.
The projects that have been submitted to the National Water Council, and which continue with the corresponding procedures for approval, are included in the first line of action of the PERTE for the digitalisation of the water cycle, based on improving the governance of the management of water uses by adapting the regulatory framework.
The PERTE for the digitalisation of the water cycle is a strategic project which will mobilize over 3 billion euros in public and private investments in the coming years in Spain. The project also aims to activate the creation of around 3,500 quality jobs, opening up new professional niches in water management in fields such as engineering, data processing, science and telecommunications.
