The increasingly severe episodes of drought show the insufficiency of water resources and force us to look for alternatives to obtain water. One of the lines of work of the Barcelona City Council is to obtain more groundwater, which comes from the subsoil and is not suitable for human consumption. To this end, the municipal government of the socialist mayor Jaume Collboni has started work this summer in several strategic points of the Catalan capital to increase the capture of groundwater in the city by 0.15 cubic hectometres. In other words, this amount will allow the irrigation of 21 more hectares of green areas and it is expected that this water resource will supply 186 hectares of parks and gardens once all the new systems are in operation.
The Council’s idea is to reduce as much as possible the amount of drinking water used for trees and garden areas, specifically, around 115,000 cubic metres per year. To manage these issues, the Council has its own protocol for action in the event of drought risk, which is currently in the alert phase. For example, in the case of cleaning streets and squares, the use of drinking water is avoided and priority is given to groundwater.
Municipal crews using groundwater to clean streets
Mane Espinosa/Archive
The initial investment to expand Barcelona’s groundwater network amounts to 14.4 million euros and is part of the municipal comprehensive maintenance plan through the Endreça plan. In fact, the works were processed urgently at the beginning of this year, when the exceptional scenario decreed by the Generalitat was still in force. The actions were planned to be carried out throughout the mandate but through an emergency mayoral decree they have been accelerated and will be carried out in seven areas of the city. The forecast is that all the improvements to the distribution network will be fully operational next year.
The Glòries groundwater reservoir will be connected to the Joan Miró reservoir
Miquel González (Shooting)
The First Deputy Mayor, Laia Bonet, stressed that with these measures Barcelona is “preparing for future scenarios” in climate emergency situations. “Episodes of drought will become more frequent and more intense and, therefore, we must have more resources of our own in the form of groundwater to preserve our greenery,” added Bonet.
One of the projects will be carried out in the area around the green axis of Consell de Cent street to build a new reservoir in the Joan Miró park to connect it with the one in the urban canopy under the Plaça de les Glòries and to adapt existing reservoirs on the Passeig de Sant Joan so that a large part of the green areas of the Eixample can be irrigated with groundwater.
The interventions will affect traffic
The work will affect traffic. In this area, the side of Diagonal will be closed between Bailèn and Mallorca streets from 12 to 16 August and vehicles will be diverted via Bailèn street and towards València street. On Mallorca street, at the junction with Diagonal, a traffic lane will be opened in the direction of Besòs from 19 to 28 August. Vehicles are advised to detour via Roger de Flor street and cyclists via Diagonal towards Girona street. And from 29 August to 5 September, the side of Diagonal will be closed between Mallorca street and Passeig Sant Joan, forcing vehicles to detour via Bailèn street.
On the other hand, a new pipeline will be built under the Diagonal from the Palau Reial to the Zona Universitària reservoir and the ornamental fountains in the gardens will be connected to the groundwater network. These works could close the cycle lane on the mountain side of Avinguda Diagonal from 19 to 30 August. And from 2 to 6 September, Carrer Martí i Franquès will be closed in the uphill direction at the height of the Diagonal.
Interventions are also planned at Can Batlló, although one of the most notable will be carried out in Montjuïc, with the construction of a new reservoir in the area surrounding the Joan Brossa gardens and two pipelines, one that will link this reservoir to the Poble Sec network and another that will connect Montjuïc Castle with the area surrounding the Palau Nacional.
In Besòs, the works will allow for a new groundwater collection point in Alfons el Magnànim. The works will also affect the passage of vehicles, from 19 to 21 August on the mountain side and from 22 to 23 August on the sea side.
The City Council estimates that the works on Alfons el Magnànim and Palau Reial will be completed this autumn, and those on Eixample and Can Batlló in the first quarter of 2025. The works on Montjuïc are expected to begin in the autumn and will last less than a year. Furthermore, these works will serve to improve the operation of the city’s irrigation by updating remote management and supervision.
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