Costa del Sol water readings to go digital with users receiving leak alerts

The Costa del Sol has set itself the goal of achieving a 100 per cent digitalised water supply. The companies Hidralia, Aguas de Benahavís, Acosol, and the town halls of Marbella, Estepona and Benahavís, have joined forces to present a Strategic Project for Economic Recovery and Transformation (PERTE), which aims to preserve scarce water resources threatened by climate change.

The initiative has a budget of some 16 million euros, of which a grant of around 10 million euros has been requested from the European Next Generation funds, with the aim of undertaking «the digital transformation of the integral urban water cycle». This initiative will benefit around 565,000 inhabitants.

As a first step, sensors will be deployed at strategic points in the system (from the collection of water to its return to the natural environment) to make the most of the technology, including the use of Artificial Intelligence. This will provide objective data and greater knowledge in detail and in real time of the different phases. «The monitoring of the main water parameters and their analysis will maximise the efficiency of the processes linked to the management of the resource,» Hidralia said.

The project will also subsidise the installation of more than 17,000 smart meters in homes and businesses which will double the current number of customers who have this service. These users will be able to remotely consult the consumptions made, in daily and hourly frequencies. Alerts will also warn of unusually high volumes being consumed and possible leaks.