Madrid’s supply network has become one of the most efficient in Spain by reducing water losses up to 4%, compared to the national average of 16%.
Canal de Isabel II has managed to achieve these figures thanks to the deployment of projects such as the Red Plan for the renewal of pipes, which in 2024 received one of the largest contributions that the public company has made throughout its history: more than 154 million to replace obsolete pipelines by others made with more advanced materials. In total, since 2018 they have been renewed more than 1,100 kilometers of networks in 163 locations of the region -225 of them in 2024-, and it is expected to reach 1,400 before the end of 2025.
Network efficiency has also increased thanks to deployment of remote reading smart in homes, a service to which an investment of 49.6 million euros and that now adds up to more than 600,000 devices. With these new devices, more than 4.3 cubic hectometers of water have been saved in the community, an amount equivalent to the annual consumption of a town like Coslada, with more than 80,000 inhabitants.
These devices transmit data daily remotely and automatically using NB-loT technology which, among other advantages, enables the communication in places with difficult coverage. They record an automatic measurement every hour, instead of what a reader performs in person every two months, which allows for more efficient and personalized management of this resource. Use this technology multiply the available data by 1,460 and reduces anomaly detection time. Furthermore, the analysis of the information provided allows Canal de Isabel II to alert its clients if it detects suspicious consumption patterns. Since they began operating in July of last year, More than 29,000 users have been notified of possible leaks in their facilities individuals.
Population increase and extreme phenomena
The public company also dedicated last year 50 million euros for sewer optimization in the 137 municipalities it manages and through which it serves 5.8 million inhabitants (85.5% of the total). Likewise, it makes available to municipalities with less than 2,500 inhabitants the Sanea Planwhich allows replace these infrastructures for more efficient ones that help reduce pollution and environmental deterioration.
On the other hand, Canal has recently incorporated drones and artificial intelligence that contribute to detecting deficiencies more efficiently in the regional sewage network, which covers 15,000 kilometers in length and includes hidden but essential infrastructure to face extreme weather phenomena. The company has developed an autonomous and self-piloted model capable of precisely examine the 2,500 kilometers of visitable galleries (those that allow access to technical personnel) and know the status of the pipelines to undertake the actions that are necessary in each section of the network.
Furthermore, the autonomous government has announced a investment of 3.2 billion in the next five yearsthe largest contribution in hydraulic works of the century, for guarantee the water security of the eight million residents of Madrid that the capital hopes to achieve in 2035. This endowment will serve to provide continuity of supply, renew supply networks and improve collection tanks and infrastructure, in addition to promoting renewable energies and modernizing wastewater pumping stations, treatment plants and storage tanks. storms. There are also plans to renew three of the eight treatment plants that serve Madrid capital: La China, Sur and Butarque.
Another of the great novelties will consist of the installation of a rain simulator that will allow anticipating and studying atmospheric phenomena such as floods. Integrated into the center of excellence for purification and reuse technologies in the Meco WWTP, the company assures that it will become a tool “unique in Europe due to its magnitude and characteristics“. This simulator allows you to reproduce the complete hyetograph of any type of rain to study its effect on the different sustainable urban drainage techniques. =
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