Benchmark Study 1

IPP 1st BENCHMARK REPORT
rationalizing all the activities related to waste, generated or managed by the Valencia Region, according
to the European Union prescriptions.
The region government makes an important researching effort in the study of alternative, non
conventional means for obtaining water in prevision of drought periods, such as wastewater treatments,
desalinization or exploitation of deep groundwater, as well as the development of tools and strategies
for conjunctive management and water saving that allow to optimize the water resources management.
Such tools are based on the use of water transfers for optimizing the water surpluses among basins.
The Regional Government has developed other important actions related to improve the water
management through the reuse of wastewater for industry, agriculture, urban gardening, street
cleaning, and modernization of irrigation system. More actions are related to the environmental
restoration; improving wetlands, reconditioning shorelines and habitats, and improving general water
quality. In particular, the following actions have been implemented:
Regional competences on irrigation, distribution, sanitation and quality of coastal water.
Municipal competences on urban water. Several actions planned by the different
Administrations.
Basic Objetives at Regional Level in Water: It guarantees the water supply in quantity & quality
for present & future needs. It protects the quality of water & the aquatic ecosystems associated
to rivers and wetlands. It promotes sustainability in the use of water, environmental & financial
actions giving with priority to the management services. It minimizes the risks of extreme
situations, drought & floods.
The Master Sanitation Plan was executed during the years 1993-2000 and 2001-2008, with an
investment respectively of 533 M€ and 1,054 M€. It represented the construction or redesigning
of the 300 Waste Water Threatment Plants (WWTP) in towns with more than 500 inhab..
An amount of 503 hm3 of sewage waters were treated in the Region of Valencia in 2009. In the
same year, an amount of 308,8 hm3 (61,4%) of sewage waters was treated, recycled and
regenerated, and the 98,8% out of 500,000 tons of sewage sludge were re-used. The WWTP
covered a regional population rate of 99,98%.
Nowadays, the Region of Valencia is one of the most advanced region in Europe with
reutilization infrastructure, with 35 big WWTP with capacity for 368 hm3/year with 3 rd level or
advance treatment. It recordes 1,500 Km among repaired irrigation ditch and pipelines, more
that 5,000 Km of pressured pipelines, 17 desalinization plants with a production of 20 hm3/y.,
13 WWTP with biogas recovery with a production higher than 23.Mill Kwh, and 1 WWTP with
PV Solar Energy Production, 167.093 Kwh in 2009.
The Territorial Strategy of the Comunidad Valenciana is defined in the DECRETO 1/2011, de 13
de enero, del Consell, por el que se aprueba la Estrategia Territorial de la Comunitat
Valenciana. It foreseen 25 main objetives and 100 targets.
The Strategy to prevent Climate Change in the Comunidad Valenciana is defined in the
Estrategia Valenciana ante el Cambio Climático 2008-2012. 125 medidas para la mitigación y
adaptación al cambio climático, which foreseens 125 actions.
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