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Alicante, a water sustainable city

  • ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE |
  • WASTE |
  • ENERGY |
  • CITY STRATEGIES & GOVERNANCE |
  • ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT |
  • URBAN PLANNING |
  • MOBILITY |
  • INNOVATION |
  • CULTURE & IDENTITY |
  • SOCIAL RIGHTS

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

Image source: www.iagua.es

In the Mediterranean region autumn storm episodes are quite common, with flooding of urban areas. Alicante has developed an integral vision of water management, including flood prevention among their priorities. The floodable urban park La Marjal is their last achievement. It collects storm rain water as it could be reused by the treated wastewater network for watering the gardens of the city. The integration of treated wastewater into water resources management is of paramount importance to meet future demands.

Tags: Water Management, Urban Regeneration, Public-Private Partnerships, Smart Grid

Challenges addressed
  • Prevent from storm flooding
  • Introduce the culture of water scarcity
  • Develop an integrated management of the water cycle
Main objectives
  • Develop a floodable urban park
  • Connect the gathered water to the wastewater reused network
  • Create a public space that could be used by the citizens
  • Keep safe the surrounding beaches
  • Prevent flooding in the surrounding blocks of dwellings
Facts

Project type                                                             Water re-use


Promoter                                                                 Aguas Municipalizadas de Alicante, E.M.


Start date                                                                 2015


Site size                                                                    36.000 m2


Budget                                                                     3.671.889,84 €


Website                                                                   www.aguasdealicante.es


Project description

A new step towards the sustainability and a whole vision on water cycle management is the new urban park La Marjal. It is a floodable park of 36.000 m2 that can contain as much as 45.000m3 of water-storm. The Mediterranean coast of Spain suffers what is known as a “cold drop” storm period, where floods are very common. This park tries to cope with this kind of storm periods, keeping the water that can be reused later on, as well as preventing the flooding of surrounding areas, part occupied with dwellings, and some roads. The park is a large reservoir of storm-water. The pipes of a vast part of the city flow in the park and prevent damages in buildings and the spreading of waste in the beaches.

 

On the other hand, this 3.6 Ha public park can be used out of rain periods by the population. The Municipality of Alicante and the water service management, a public-private company, Aguas Municipalizadas de Alicante, undertook its construction and it was opened in 2015. The recollected storm water can be reused for watering and allows the city to increase its touristic attractiveness as well as its picturesque landscape with gardens.

 

This park received the 2018 Sustainable City Award in the water cycle sector of the Fundació Forum Ambiental.

Image source: www.iagua.es
Impact and results
  • 480.000 – 620.000 inhabitants provided
  • 45.000 m3 water capacity
  • 70% public gardens watered with recycled water
  • ~ 1,2 Hm3 of reused water
  • 9,7 m2 of public gardens per inhabitant
  • Improvement of urban sustainability
  • Urban resilience and Flood Prevention
  • Water cycle management
  • Gardening in the city
  • Tourism attraction
  • Public-private partnership
www.aguasdealicante.es
Publications & main documents
  • Premio ciudad sostenible
  • Aguas de Alicante
  • Aguas de Alicante: Urbanización Parque Urbano Inundable “La Marjal”
  • Aguas de Alicante: Un parque propio de la Atlántida
  • Aguas de Alicante: Unparque contralas inundaciones
  • IAgua: “El agua reutilizada le ha cambiado la cara a Alicante”
Reference images & videos
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Categories

CasesEnvironment & Climate Change

Tags
Public-Private Partnerships Smart Grid Urban Regeneration Water Management
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