Adasa is driving the digitalisation of the water cycle in La Rioja through sensor deployment, modelling and advanced data management

 

The La Rioja Water and Waste Consortium (CARE) has taken a decisive step towards the digital transformation of the region’s water cycle with DigiCARE, a project focused on the installation of sensors and the digitalisation of the region’s wastewater treatment plants, pumping stations, sewers and discharge points. The initiative forms part of the PERTE programme for the digitalisation of the water cycle and is co-financed by Next Generation EU funds.

The project, developed by the Adasa-Aqlara joint venture, addresses the digitalisation of a distributed sanitation infrastructure comprising 68 sewers, 30 pumping stations, 70 wastewater treatment plants and 17 wetlands.

Its main objective has been to strengthen real-time monitoring capabilities, improve the response to rainfall events and overflows, and ensure greater control over discharges in accordance with current environmental regulations.

The solution incorporates 125 sensors and measuring devices in collection systems and wetlands to monitor flow, water quality, oxygen levels, pollutants, COD, ammonium, pH, temperature and conductivity, alongside the installation and integration of PLCs, real-time data acquisition systems, various types of digital twins at several wastewater treatment works, hydraulic models of supra-municipal water supply systems, a remote monitoring system for key infrastructure, a drought contingency plan for one of the water supply systems, and CMMS tools for asset management and maintenance.

It also includes 654 main communication units.

One of the technical cornerstones of the deployment is the creation of a central discharge register, combined with the monitoring of authorised industrial discharges and the control of flow rates during overflows and relief discharges.

This architecture has been integrated into the online platform developed for the project, with the aim of monitoring all systems, including discharges, and managing the facilities in order to anticipate operational problems, improve data-driven decision-making and optimise the performance of the sanitation infrastructure.

More efficient and sustainable management

For CARE, the public body responsible for sanitation and wastewater treatment services under the La Rioja Sanitation Master Plan and Law 5/2000, DigiCARE represents a qualitative leap towards more efficient, traceable and sustainable operations.

Key expected benefits include remote monitoring, improved incident response, maintenance planning, control of treated water quality and a reduction in operating costs.

With an investment of 5.7 million euros and a 16-month implementation period, DigiCARE has been designed as a scalable and replicable model for other regions facing similar challenges in integrated sanitation management, particularly in contexts where regulatory pressure and heavy rainfall require greater capacity for prevention, control and response.