Canal de Isabel II will restore 48,000 square metres of the Tercer Depósito for the people of Madrid

Tercer Depósito park

Today the City Council of Madrid has delivered the license for the construction works

• The public company is finalising the allocation of the renovation works in this leisure space in Chamberí
• The works have a tender budget exceeding 15 million euros

16JUL2020 – Canal de Isabel II and the City Council of Madrid have taken another step forward in the project of the new Tercer Depósito park, which the public company will build on the roof of the Islas Filipinas water tank and whose works, with a tender budget of 15,422,744.22 euros (VAT excluded), will last 24 months.

Thus, today the City Council of Madrid notified Canal de Isabel II of the building permit for the new facilities, which will restore the 48,000 square metres occupied by the driving range and golf pitch, which were declared incompatible with the General Urban Development Plan by the High Court of Justice of Madrid. These facilities were dismantled in 2018, while work was being done on the final draft of the project, which was the result of an agreement and dialogue with the neighbourhood associations in the Chamberí district.

Works may begin once the licence has been received from the City Council and the construction contract for this facility is finally awarded, which is expected to happen later this year. ¿

The plot on which the park sits occupies nearly 12 hectares and houses one of Canal’s large water storage tanks. It became operational in 1915, has a capacity of over 460,000 cubic metres of water and supplies the southwest area of the capital.

The renovations respond to four main objectives: increasing green areas, promoting sport and outdoor activity, creating multipurpose, recreational and cultural areas, and setting up a new open space for free use. As a result, the green areas will increase by 35 %, occupying almost half of the park, including more than 1,000 new trees and 100 bushes, and creating a plant barrier to muffle traffic noise inside the park.

The sports areas will double in size, from 12,500 m2 to over 24,000 m2: the space will include a basketball court, volleyball court, walking circuit, multipurpose courts, climbing wall, bio-healthy and calisthenics circuits, etc.

For its part, the recreational and cultural spaces will have a surface area of almost 20,000 m2 compared to 2,600 at present, and the main action is creating a large multipurpose square that will serve as a meeting and activity point in the park. The children's play areas will also be expanded, a permanent exhibition will be created with panels on the Tercer Depósito and Canal de Isabel II’s history, and one of the existing buildings will be reconfigured as a gymnasium.

Finally, the free and walking areas will gain 5,300 new square meters thanks to the total integration of the activities included in the plot.

THREE NEW PARKS IN THE CHAMBERÍ DISTRICT

This is the third action planned by Canal de Isabel II to create new green spaces for the Chamberí district, where the company is headquartered and has part of its facilities. In November 2018, the Rios Rosas Park opened on a 2,500 m2 plot on Calle Santa Engracia next to the company's offices.

Work is also currently underway on the Bravo Murillo Park, whose construction began last summer and is scheduled to finish this year. This park, which occupies 3,745 square meters in the western area of the company's headquarters, will include a walking space and green areas for children and sports.

As a whole, three facilities will make over 123,000 m2 of Canal de Isabel II spaces available for the public to use and enjoy, in addition to the Cuarto Depósito park in Plaza de Castilla with another 45,000 m2. These actions are framed within the Strategic Plan 2018-2030 and seek to foster transparency, good governance and commitment to society.

Canal de Isabel II was founded almost 170 years ago to supply water to the city of Madrid. Today, its more than 2,800 employees provide a service to over 6 million people in the region. It is an innovative, entirely public company, a leader in its sector, and internationally recognised for its management of the integrated water cycle.

It operates 13 reservoirs; 78 spring tappings; 14 drinking water treatment plants; 17,651 kilometres of conveyance and distribution channels; 131 pumping stations for drinking water and 133 for waste water; 15,317 kilometres of sewage networks; 65 storm tanks; 157 waste water treatment stations; and 651 kilometres of regenerated water channels.