The Metropolitan Council of the AMB has provisionally approved the project for a new well field at the Sant Joan Despí water treatment plant, affecting lands in Sant Boi de Llobregat, Sant Feliu de Llobregat, and Santa Coloma de Cervelló.
The Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB) has taken a further step in its strategy to ensure water supply in the face of future droughts. The Metropolitan Council, the highest governing body of the entity, provisionally approved on Tuesday the project to build a new well field at the Sant Joan Despí water treatment plant, a key infrastructure located on non-urbanizable land covering the municipalities of Sant Boi de Llobregat, Sant Joan Despí, Sant Feliu de Llobregat, and Santa Coloma de Cervelló.
Extraction of water from the Llobregat aquifer
The project will allow for the extraction of water from the Llobregat aquifer, a groundwater resource that is already being exploited at the neighbouring Sant Feliu water treatment plant. However, the extraction will not be permanent: the AMB has planned to limit the extraction to an additional 1.4 cubic metres per second on top of the current plant concession, for a maximum of 15 days a year and only in situations of water scarcity.
The Sant Joan Despí water treatment plant, which already has artificial recharge systems for the aquifer, will always prioritise the capture of surface water from the Llobregat river over groundwater. This measure aims to minimise the impact on the aquifer and ensure its long-term sustainability.
For the residents of Sant Boi de Llobregat and the municipalities of Baix Llobregat, this infrastructure represents a reinforcement of the region's water security. The AMB has emphasised that the project is part of a broader metropolitan strategy focused on increasing water regeneration and diversifying sources to address drought episodes like those experienced in recent years.
Collaboration with L'Energètica for energy transition
In the same session, the Metropolitan Council approved the initiation of procedures for L'Energètica, the public renewable energy company of the Generalitat de Catalunya, to act as an in-house entity of the AMB. The goal is to accelerate energy transition projects in the metropolitan area, as explained by the supramunicipal entity.
A collaboration agreement will soon be signed allowing L'Energètica to work directly with the AMB on the installation of solar panels and other renewable infrastructures in metropolitan buildings and spaces. This initiative, although independent of the well project, reinforces the AMB's commitment to self-sufficiency and sustainability.
The next step for the well field is the final approval by the Department of Territory of the Generalitat. If everything follows the planned schedule, construction could begin in the coming months, providing an additional solution for when the river's flow tightens.
