Water Quality in Zaragoza

Abstract

The severe droughts of the 1990s made clear that the Strategic Plan of Zaragoza and the Action Plan of Local Agenda 21 in terms of water management were not appropriate to satisfy the development needs of its economy and the future demands of a growing population. In response, the city redefined its water management model, from one of continuous exploitation of resources to the search for solutions to reduce consumption. The city's efforts included a comprehensive programme of stakeholder involvement, rehabilitation of drinking water treatment and distribution infrastructure, improvement of water quality, and reform of the billing system. After 12 years, the city has managed to deduce its total consumption by nearly 30% and improve the quality of its water very significantly.