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Sustainable water management, a crucial challenge
In a context of increasing scarcity of water resources, particularly in Spain and the Canary Islands, the challenge of sustainable water management has become crucial. EMALSA, the company responsible for the integral water cycle in the city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, has had to rethink its solutions in order to optimize water supply and ensure the quality of wastewater for various uses: reuse for irrigation and agriculture, protection of hydraulic infrastructures, and preservation of the natural environment.
The PERTE program (Proyectos Estratégicos para la Recuperación y TransformaciónEconómica) for Water Recovery and Transformation in Spain is a government initiative aimed at modernizing and digitalizing the water cycle in the country. It forms part of the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan (PRTR), which is itself linked to and funded by the European post-COVID recovery fund, NextGenerationEU.
A new milestone in the collaboration between LACROIX and EMALSA
This program enabled EMALSA to launch an invitation to tender in 2024 for the digitalization of its water network and the provision of equipment for the remote measurement and monitoring of wastewater quality, in order to comply with European standards and ensure environmental protection.
The LACROIX solution using SOFREL wasterwater quality measurement sensors (pH, conductivity, and turbidity) as well as Sofrel DL4W Data Loggers, won this invitation to tender for approximately €550,000. The selection of the solution was based on economic criteria, as well as a technical comparison highlighting the robustness of the equipment, battery life, and the ability to connect up to eight sensors to a single data logger via a standard Modbus protocol.
Innovation and performance for smart wastewater management
SOFREL Data Loggers are renowned for their ability to be installed in challenging environments (such as isolated and flood-prone manholes) thanks to their high level of water resistance (IP68), autonomous battery operation lasting up to 10 years, and built-in high-performance 4G/NB-IoT modem and antenna, ensuring high-quality and secure communication.
Beyond their electronic performance, the equipment complies with all European regulations for monitoring wastewater and stormwater discharges into the environment: the number of wastewater discharges, calculation of the volumes of water returned to the natural environment, and measurement and control of the physico-chemical parameters of discharged water. This solution therefore enables the optimization of water resources by ensuring the quality of wastewater reuse for irrigation purposes, while safeguarding the protection of discharges into the natural environment.
This project marks a new milestone in the collaboration between LACROIX (SOFREL) and EMALSA, which began over 30 years ago with the first remote management implementations of water distribution networks in Spain and the Canary Islands.
Mercedes Fernández-Couto Gómez, Managing Director of EMALSA:
« Although EMALSA has been developing the digitalization of its facilities and systems for several years, the PERTE project has been a key driver in modernizing our infrastructure, positioning our company as a national reference. Sofrel’s support in this project has provided us with reliability and robustness, in addition to major advancements such as the integration of cybersecurity, the use of the most innovative technologies in the field of digitalization, with a significant impact on service assurance and system efficiency.»
Javier Pino, Commercial Director of LACROIX’s Environment Business in Spain:
« The PERTE projects have had a decisive impact on the development of water cycle management in Spain. The PERTE project ‘Improving the Efficiency of the Urban Cycle’ has enabled EMALSA to significantly accelerate the modernization of its water systems and networks. Once again, EMALSA placed its trust in LACROIX for the digitalization of its facilities, relying on the full technology and expertise of a market-leading group.The use of our product range, notably our autonomous solutions for quality control in sewer networks, has allowed EMALSA to meet all PERTE requirements, bringing reliability and robustness to its urban water cycle digitalization processes. »