'Formentera, Water Smart Island' at SWAN 2018

Earlier today CiF environment secretary Daisee Aguilera and Ángel Encinas, from the innovation and technology wing of Aquàlia, the company which holds Formentera's water management contract, took to Barcelona's global SWAN 2018 congress to unveil a project styling Formentera as a “water-smart island”.

The presentation was included in a conference on the role of “education, commitment and responsibility in smart cities”, moderated by Eva Martínez, who is the chief of smart management in Aquàlia's innovation arm.

'Formentera Water Smart Island'
The recognised success of “Formentera Water Smart Island” —the project which brought cutting-edge, remote water metre readers to Sant Ferran— has inspired administration officials to take the rollout mainstream. A total of 2,394 of the “smart readers” — at zero direct cost to islanders— are now awaiting installation.

Officials say it's about sustainable and appropriate use of the water resources so precious on the island. One figure in particular —Formentera's rate of water efficiency— is 89.57 per cent.

The system makes it possible to conduct real-time readings of metres, resulting in clearer information for users on the grid and improved efficiency. It also means serious advantages for customers. For one, it allows operators to check metres without having to physically travel to the area or household in question, thus eliminating estimated readings. Leaks at the household-level can be spotted, too, helping water users catch technical failures at home and sparing them the attendant water bills. Metres which are malfunctioning or have stopped outright can be easily detected as well, giving Aquàlia up-to-date breakdowns on volume across the grid that, although distributed, is not recorded due to technical problems, fraud or unchecked consumption. The system offers an area-specific means of tracking water demand, plus objective and detailed information to open up the possibility of investment in the grid.

Remote readings represent yet another tech-based breakthrough of the many that Formentera's water works have already experienced. The island is now home to a grid-wide system permitting the tracking and controlling at a distance of supply and sanitation activity, as well as readings concerning segmented supply and isolated leaks.