Adasa and INELCOM are digitising wastewater treatment in the Valencian Community by installing sensors at 467 WWTPs

 

Adasa, in collaboration with INELCOM, has completed the installation of sensors, integration and secure transmission of operational data from 467 wastewater treatment plants in the Valencian Community. The overall approach to the roll-out has been to achieve maximum standardisation whilst maintaining the flexibility to integrate existing signals and equipment.

The DIGAR-CV project, which forms part of the PERTE programme for the Digitalisation of the Water Cycle and has received European NextGenerationEU funding, has involved the monitoring of 467 WWTPs, including 243 inlet points at facilities with flow rates exceeding 150 m³/day and 467 outlet points.

The technical scope also includes the monitoring of 359 WWTP outfalls and 142 sewer outfalls, 12 urban water reuse points with flow measurement, 4 level sensors in storm water tanks, 6 portable stations for discharge monitoring and 3 smart vision devices for detecting discharges.

High value-added technological transformation in water management in Valencia

For EPSAR (Entitat de Sanejament d’Aigües), the project represents a qualitative leap towards a more connected, preventative and data-driven approach to management.

The new infrastructure provides real-time operational information on water quality, flow rates, relief discharges, discharges and reuse, facilitating better remote monitoring, a more agile response to incidents and subsequent data analysis on the digital platform.

Through this project, Adasa and INELCOM are contributing to the technological modernisation of wastewater treatment in the Valencian Community by providing a scalable, secure and replicable solution, designed to address the current challenges of environmental control, traceability, regulatory compliance and operational efficiency in distributed treatment networks and facilities.

From challenge to solution

EPSAR manages a large network of sanitation and wastewater treatment facilities in the Valencian Community, and the project has addressed the need for reliable, traceable and continuously available data.

The initial situation was characterised by varying levels of digitalisation and sensor coverage, particularly regarding critical water quality parameters, flow measurement, discharge control and automatic data transmission, as well as multiple information systems and uneven availability of operational data, which limited the capacity for remote monitoring and advanced data analysis.

The solution provided by Adasa has addressed the technical challenge of deploying a standardised solution that is nevertheless adaptable to the specific characteristics of each WWTP, combining field instrumentation, integration cabinets, industrial communications and OT cybersecurity measures.

The deployment has included water quality probes (pH, conductivity and temperature, turbidity, COD, ammoniacal nitrogen and nitrates), flow meters, level sensors, overflow detection systems, portable stations for discharge monitoring and smart vision devices.

This equipment enables the continuous monitoring of inflows, outflows, bypasses, collectors and reuse points at the WWTPs included in the project.

Cybersecurity: at the heart of the project

One of the technical cornerstones of the project is the integration of new and existing signals through an industrial architecture that can be adapted to the specific characteristics of each facility.

Data is transmitted securely to the central server via various communication protocols. This architecture enhances communication reliability, data traceability and end-to-end security – key aspects in distributed industrial environments and in critical infrastructure within the urban water cycle.