The Catalan Water Agency (ACA) has presented a plan to guarantee essential water cycle services for at least 24 hours in Catalonia, should a power blackout recur. Sílvia Paneque, a government minister, explained that the goal is to strengthen the system's resilience after last year's electrical 'zero', when approximately 400,000 users in the Barcelona metropolitan area lost water supply within 12 hours.
Among the planned actions, the ACA aims to ensure up to 72 hours of energy autonomy at its critical facilities. It will also guarantee fuel supply for generators and deploy the Rescat emergency communications network. The service continuity plan covers all ACA centres and identifies essential internal and external activities, anticipating global emergencies affecting the water cycle.
Addressing Past Failures
The analysis includes 47 risk categories and 163 potential causes. From these, 15 scenarios have been prioritised with six specific action protocols, including electrical failure and loss of communications. According to Paneque, the previous incident showed the water cycle's strong reliance on electricity, particularly for pumping and distribution systems.
In some high-altitude neighbourhoods, the lack of electricity prevented water from being pumped to reservoirs and maintaining network pressure, leading to rapid depletion of reserves. Additionally, some generator sets lacked sufficient autonomy or were not sized to meet full demand. Poor communication also made coordination difficult among operators.
Strengthening Infrastructure and Communications
To prevent a repeat of this situation, the plan will act on several fronts. One goal is to increase storage capacity and optimise pressure management to extend system autonomy without electricity. Another is to reinforce alternative power systems with more powerful generators and guaranteed fuel supplies, alongside energy self-generation projects.
The plan also proposes ensuring communication redundancies to maintain coordination during general failure scenarios. It sets a target of achieving up to 72 hours of autonomy in critical facilities and urges operators to review their emergency plans. They must identify energy needs and prioritise essential infrastructure.
Operators are also asked to strengthen communication and coordination systems with the ACA and other involved parties. They should also advance energy self-generation solutions to reduce reliance on the electrical grid during crises. The ACA's plan allocates approximately €6.8 million for installing generator sets and associated tanks, a figure that may be adjusted based on ongoing energy audit results.
