The hydrological year started with precipitation, a fall in consumption and a rise in the level of contained water

Canal de Isabel II would like to remind you of the need to make efficient use of this natural resource with small actions at home.

• October ended with the reservoirs at 68.5% capacity, almost 20 points higher than the figure recorded last year
• Water consumption was 2.6% lower than in the first month of last hydrological year

05NOV20 – October, the first month of the hydrological year 2020-21, has begun with precipitation at 10.7% higher the historical average, which has contributed to increasing the volume of retained water by more than 5 cubic hectometres, such that the water reserves in reservoirs are now 646 cubic hectometres. This figure is 68.5% of the maximum volume that can be stored by the 13 reservoirs Canal de Isabel II uses to supply the Region of Madrid: a figure almost 20 points higher than that recorded a year ago and 11 above the average for 1 November.

Moreover, water consumption has dropped 2.6% compared to that recorded a year ago, helped by precipitation higher than the historical average: Madrid residents consumed 40.0 cubic hectometres of water in October. After two months of slight year-on-year increased consumption, October confirmed the general trend in 2020, in which water consumption is already 3.2% lower than over the first 10 months of 2019: 417.1 cubic hectometres compared to 430.7 last year.

Concerning the contributions received in the reservoirs, they are 46.6% higher than the historical average value: 34.7 cubic hectometres of water have been received, whereas the average for one month of October, according to the historical records over 107 years that Canal de Isabel II maintains, is 23.6 cubic hectometres. October is usually the month in which the reservoirs begin to receive water after the low water of the summer, and this is why the hydrological year begins then, and not alongside the calendar year.

CALL FOR RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION

With all these data, and despite the hydrological situation in the region being positive and stable, given the uncertainty about rainfall pattern during the hydrological year that has just begun, Canal de Isabel II requests the cooperation of all citizens in making responsible and efficient use of water, and it provides recommendations for saving water on its Youtube channel, its social networks and its website www.canaldeisabelsegunda.es.

On these channels, the public company reminds you that small actions by a large group, such as turning off the tap when brushing your teeth, showering instead of bathing or using the washing machine or dishwasher only when full, can help to ensure sustainable demand for an essential but limited resource.

Therefore, and within the framework of line 1 of its Strategic Plan, to guarantee supply to the people, Canal carries out awareness-raising actions through its social networks and website to encourage citizens to consume water responsibly. Citizen awareness-raising actions and progressive fees have allowed Canal, with a water price that is 23% lower than the Spanish average, to reduce per capita consumption by almost 30% since the last drought of 2005.

In addition, the state-owned enterprise works ceaselessly to carry out actions that increase the efficiency of its network and make it possible to conserve drinking water, such as boosting the use of reclaimed water for irrigation of green areas and industrial uses or annual pipe network renewal plans, which have achieved a 70% reduction in loss volume.

Canal de Isabel II was founded more than 165 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 a 100% public-owned company that is committed to caring for the environment, and internationally recognised for its management of the entire 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 wastewater; 15,317 kilometres of sewage networks; 65 storm tanks; 157 wastewater treatment stations; and 651 kilometres of regenerated water channels.