Technology and infrastructure renewal allow Sant Antoni de Portmany to avoid water leaks equivalent to 23 Olympic swimming pools

Investment in water technology and infrastructure by Facsa, a national company for the Integrated Water Cycle, in the Ibizan municipality of Sant Antonio del Portmany, has resulted in savings of 68.284 m³³ of water from 2020 to the end of 2022, which would be equivalent to 23 Olympic swimming pools.

As a result of this commitment, the performance indicator for the Ibiza municipality now stands at 87.72%, which translates to a 12% loss in supplied water. “Although this represents significantly better results than in 2020 – the first full year managed by Facsa“Our priority is to continue reducing this ratio and improving the performance of the Sant Antoni del Portmany water distribution network,” says Luis Miguel Redondo, head of the water company's service.

For his part, the town's mayor, Marcos Serra, adds that “the Balearic Islands Hydrological Plan sets a target of 17% for municipal water losses by 2027. In our case, we have not only met this target but exceeded it by five percentage points, five years ahead of schedule, with the resulting savings in both economic terms and environmental impact, and the opportunities for improvement it presents for the next five years.” However, these results contrast sharply with the Balearic average, which recorded losses of 32% of the drinking water supply in 2022.

Technology at the service of water management and infrastructure renewal

One of the initiatives that has yielded very positive results has been the involvement of service users, who have shared data through the more than 1.600 smart meters installed among subscribers. This has allowed for the anticipation of major incidents and improved real-time control of the supply. In this regard, Facsa relies on its division Waternology by Facsa, which constantly develops digital solutions for the intelligent management of the complete water cycle under criteria of cybersecurity, transparency, innovation and sustainability.

Regarding infrastructure renewal, the Sant Antoni de Portmany Town Council has worked in recent years with the water utility to install and upgrade a total of 9,6 kilometers of water supply network. Among the latest projects, the renovation of the drinking water supply and sanitation network in the old town stands out, specifically in the sections corresponding to Santa Agnés, Cristófol Colom, and Sant Mateu streets, which will be completed in March of this year.

Thus, the council continues to strengthen the efficiency and sustainability of the municipal water service, “an area of ​​particular importance given that the resources of the island of Ibiza are very limited due to the scarcity and overexploitation of underground aquifers. Furthermore, the production and distribution of water from the seawater desalination system – which provides the water flows that the aquifers cannot supply – is very costly in terms of energy and money,” explains Serra.

All of this, combined with the ongoing population growth, means that optimizing water use in municipal distribution networks "is not an option but a necessity," the mayor concludes.