{"id":14665,"date":"2024-05-03T08:26:34","date_gmt":"2024-05-03T06:26:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/idaeaold.com.devel\/?p=14665"},"modified":"2025-02-06T16:08:49","modified_gmt":"2025-02-06T15:08:49","slug":"sequia-en-cataluna-el-papel-infravalorado-de-las-aguas-subterraneas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/idaeaold.ondeuevprojects.net\/es\/sequia-en-cataluna-el-papel-infravalorado-de-las-aguas-subterraneas\/","title":{"rendered":"Sequ\u00eda en Catalu\u00f1a: El papel infravalorado de las aguas subterr\u00e1neas"},"content":{"rendered":"

La actual crisis de sequ\u00eda en Catalu\u00f1a ha generado una preocupaci\u00f3n creciente<\/strong> tanto a nivel social como medi\u00e1tico respecto a la gesti\u00f3n de este vital recurso p\u00fablico. La regi\u00f3n oriental de Catalu\u00f1a se encuentra en estado de emergencia, con datos recientes que muestran unas reservas en el conjunto de los embalses de las cuencas internas inferiores al 15%. Las \u00faltimas restricciones en el consumo de agua en Barcelona datan del a\u00f1o 1953, lo que resalta la gravedad de la situaci\u00f3n actual.<\/p>\n

Sin embargo, el foco parece estar siempre en las aguas superficiales (lagos, r\u00edos, embalses) y las aguas subterr\u00e1neas quedan olvidadas<\/strong>, a pesar de que suponen un volumen parecido o superior. Efectivamente, el agua superficial no puede abastecer toda la demanda de agua que necesita la poblaci\u00f3n catalana, el sector agr\u00edcola y la industria. Si no llueve suficiente, no queda otra que utilizar recursos alternativos como el agua regenerada o la proveniente de la desaladora. Pero, \u00bfy las aguas subterr\u00e1neas, es decir, los acu\u00edferos? Son tambi\u00e9n parte de la soluci\u00f3n, pero \u00bfest\u00e1n suficientemente estudiadas y valoradas?<\/p>\n

Entre un creciente alarmismo, la emergencia de una conciencia ecol\u00f3gica y la necesidad de mejores modelos de gesti\u00f3n, el IDAEA muestra el potencial de las aguas subterr\u00e1neas para afrontar la demanda actual de agua y la sequ\u00eda en Catalu\u00f1a<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

La sequ\u00eda no afecta por igual a toda Catalu\u00f1a<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

El territorio catal\u00e1n cuenta con dos zonas geogr\u00e1ficas bien diferenciadas con respecto al aporte y gesti\u00f3n del agua. En el este se encuentran las cuencas internas de Catalu\u00f1a<\/strong>, gestionadas por la Agencia Catalana del Agua, mientras que en el interior se sit\u00faa la cuenca catalana del Ebro<\/strong>, administrada por la Confederaci\u00f3n Hidrogr\u00e1fica del Ebro, dependiente del Ministerio para la Transici\u00f3n Ecol\u00f3gica y el Reto Demogr\u00e1fico.<\/p>\n<\/div>

La sequ\u00eda no est\u00e1 afectando de igual manera a ambas zonas. La cuenca del r\u00edo Ebro cuenta con unas reservas alrededor del 70%<\/strong>, por lo que esta zona opera con total normalidad. Es en las cuencas internas, especialmente en el sistema Ter-Llobregat, con mayor poblaci\u00f3n e industrias, donde la situaci\u00f3n es m\u00e1s preocupante<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

<\/span>

A map of Catalonia's hydrological basins. | Catalan Water Agency<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

<\/span>

A drought monitoring tool by the Catalan Water Agency shows the internal basins (colored areas) suffering from reservoir levels below 15%, whereas the Ebro basin (gray) has reserves between 60-70%. | Catalan Water Agency<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Most of Barcelona\u2019s water does not come from reservoirs<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Water demand in Barcelona presents a significant challenge for achieving sustainable water management. To understand water flow in Barcelona, let\u2019s follow its journey from a home in the Sants-Montju\u00efc district. Wastewater travels to one of Barcelona’s main wastewater treatment plants (WWTP)<\/strong>: either WWTP Bes\u00f2s or WWTP Baix Llobregat. For instance, wastewater from this home reaches WWTP Baix Llobregat, where it undergoes various treatments to reduce pollutant loads to acceptable levels for its intended use (discharge, agricultural use, etc.).<\/p>\n

After treatment, the water is sent to a Water Reclamation Facility (WRF)<\/strong> located next to the WWTP Baix Llobregat. Here, reclaimed water is produced, which is then discharged upstream near Molins de Rei, blending with the Llobregat River to increase its flow.<\/p>\n

The reclaimed water flows downstream and is ultimately collected at the Drinking Water Treatment Plant (DWTP) in Sant Joan Desp\u00ed<\/a><\/strong>, where it is purified for human consumption and distributed back to homes.<\/p>\n<\/div>

<\/div>
<\/span>

Distribution of current and planned wastewater, reclaimed water and drinking water in Barcelona managed by Aig\u00fces de Barcelona. | AGBAR<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Is reclaimed water the solution for Barcelona\u2019s demand?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In 2021, 97% of Barcelona\u2019s water supply came from rivers and aquifers. By 2023, this percentage dropped to 42%, with 58% of the city’s water demand now met by desalinated and reclaimed water<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Since 2009, Barcelona has relied on the Llobregat desalination plant\u2014the largest in Europe for urban supply. This plant converts seawater into potable freshwater, meeting 33% of the city’s water demand in 2023, albeit at a significantly higher energy cost than conventional resources like reservoirs or aquifers.<\/p>\n

Reclaimed water<\/strong>\u2014treated wastewater that undergoes additional treatment at WRFs\u2014can be reused for irrigation, street cleaning, industrial uses, and recharging aquifers<\/strong>. While indirect potable reuse is possible (as seen in Barcelona), direct potable reuse is currently restricted under European Union regulations, except under catastrophic conditions.<\/p>\n

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\u00abToday, more than half of Barcelona’s water comes from desalination and reclaimed water,\u00bb stated Josep Llu\u00eds Armenter<\/strong>, drought plan coordinator at Aig\u00fces de Barcelona, during a conference organized by IDAEA-CSIC and the University of Barcelona<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Armenter advocates for alternative water sources<\/a> like reclaimed water, which current technology ensures is safe and consumes one-third of the energy of desalination.<\/p>\n

Scientific perspective: groundwater is key to sustainable water management<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Groundwater often goes unnoticed<\/strong>\u2014hidden from view and thus overlooked by the general public and governing bodies alike. Yet, it is critical for efficient and sustainable water management. To date, most water supply has relied on surface water (reservoirs, rivers) and, more recently, on alternative systems like desalinated and reclaimed water.<\/p>\n

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Groundwater leakage at the Loue spring, Jura massif, France | Jacques Lhommee<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

\u201cGroundwater constitutes 90% of the world\u2019s available freshwater<\/strong>, making it a vital resource to address future hydrological challenges like drought. We cannot base all solutions on technological developments and large investments,\u00bb states Estanislao Pujades<\/strong>, a hydrogeology expert at IDAEA-CSIC.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Groundwater is a local, abundant, higher-quality, and more cost-effective resource<\/strong> than reclaimed or desalinated water. Aquifers naturally filter suspended solids and can reduce many organic pollutants through physical-chemical processes, offering water of better quality at a lower cost.<\/p>\n

In dry years, groundwater available in Catalonia\u2019s internal basins is equivalent to the full capacity of the Sau and Susqueda reservoirs combined, according to Joan Botey i Bassols<\/strong>, a civil engineer and IDAEA-CSIC researcher.<\/p>\n

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Underground resources available in Catalonia. Left: normal year. Right: dry year. | Prepared by Joan Botey i Bassols based on data from the Catalan Water Agency.<\/p><\/div>\n

To effectively utilize groundwater resources, it is crucial to understand that the sustainably available resource is not the aquifer’s capacity\u2014how much water it can hold\u2014but rather how much water replenishes it, or the aquifer’s recharge. Overexploitation of an aquifer beyond a certain threshold not only risks severely degrading water quality but also causes permanent compaction of the aquifer<\/strong>, leading to an irreversible loss of the resource.<\/p>\n

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\u00abThe current regulations only protect extraction zones, but if water does not recharge the aquifer, or if the recharge water is contaminated, we are putting this resource at risk and wasting it. Therefore, we should also protect recharge zones,\u00bb explains Botey i Bassols.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Several strategies can increase aquifer recharge and, consequently, the available resource. These include making urban soils more permeable to water, designating and adapting areas to facilitate the infiltration of rainwater and river overflows, or artificially recharging aquifers with treated or reclaimed water, either through infiltration or injection methods.<\/p>\n

In general, managed aquifer recharge is an effective solution for increasing the availability of freshwater during dry periods<\/strong>. Beyond augmenting water volumes, aquifers naturally enhance the quality of the recharged water through physical and chemical processes, which can reduce the concentration of certain organic contaminants not removed by treatment plants.<\/p>\n

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\u00abLooking ahead, we need to adopt a more ambitious approach to better address climate change and ensure water availability across all areas and sectors,\u00bb emphasizes Pujades.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

A watershed-wide approach could be a strong alternative<\/strong>, increasing the basin\u2019s capacity to buffer extreme weather events, maintaining river base flows for longer periods, and maximizing the potential uses and beneficiaries.<\/p>\n

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\u00abWe should enhance and optimize the use of groundwater, as it is a more local and cost-effective resource, while reserving reclaimed and desalinated water as alternative solutions to cover any remaining deficits,\u00bb concludes Botey i Bassols.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Alicia Arroyo<\/em><\/p>\n

Communication and Outreach<\/p>\n

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