Aqualia participates in training on hydraulic infrastructures for a group of Colombian governors

During this week the "Governors 2021" programme was developed in Madrid, organised by the School of Politics and High Government of the José Ortega y Gasset-Gregorio Marañón Foundation (FOM), together with the National Federation of Departments of Colombia. On the 7th , Rafael Pérez Feito, Aqualia's Director of International Operations, shared with the participants the company's broad international experience in the development of public-private partnership projects, at a round table on "Public services and their role in the economic revitalisation of the country". 

Pérez Feito shared two of the company's most successful projects with the governors attending. The first was the El Realito aqueduct, in Mexico: A major infrastructure that involved an investment of 167 million dollars, and as a result of its development, in a public-private partnership, it was possible to provide drinking water from the El Realito Dam to the population of San Luís Potosí, more than 132 kilometres away.

The second case presented by Aqualia's representative was that of an administrative concession for the end-to-end water cycle management for the city of Almería (Spain). Aqualia has been managing the water service for this city with 200,000 inhabitants since 1993. Since that date, the collaboration between the company and the Municipality has led to a notable increase in the efficiency of the water network, as well as a significant reduction in energy consumption and environmental impact.

The success of both projects was the subject of two success stories prepared by the IESE Business School and published by the United Nations within the framework of the "PPP For Cities" programme.

The programme was addressed to a select group of Colombian territorial authorities. The participating authorities included the President of the National Federation of Departments and Governor of Cundinamarca, Nicolás García, the Director of the National Federation of Departments, Didier Tavera, and the governors of the departments of El Meta and Caldas, Juan Guillermo Zuluaga and Luis Carlos Velásquez. The round table was moderated by Jesús Maza, Managing Director of the International School of Public Services, was attended by Pérez Feito, from Aqualia, as well as Jaime Castiñeira, CEO of EMALCSA (a water management company in the city of La Coruña) and President of the ELIGE Network; Juan Fernández Solís, Managing Director of Somajasa (water management company of the Provincial Council of Jaén); and Guillermo Cerezo, CEO of Sacyr Colombia.

The aim of the programme is to contribute to the transfer of knowledge to leaders committed to strengthening the State, democratic governance and territorial cohesion, providing the skills and abilities to undertake effective, authentic technical and professional work within the framework of the development of a decentralised State. The projects make up a portfolio valued at over 400 million euros. 

Aqualia in Latin America

In Colombia, Aqualia has been operating 13 end-to-end water cycle management concessions in 12 municipalities in the Córdoba Department and another in Villa del Rosario, Norte de Santander Department, since March 2020. In total, the company provides services for more than 450,000 citizens. The company is also working on the final phase of a project for the design, construction and operation of the El Salitre waste water treatment plant in Bogotá (Colombia). The infrastructure will treat more than 600,000 cubic meters of waste water per day (m3/day) and will provide services for 3 million people in Colombia's capital.

In Mexico the company is undertaking the design, equipping, construction, initial operation, operation and maintenance of the Guaymas desalination plant, in the Mexican state of Sonora. The new installation, which Aqualia will operate for a period of 20 years, will provide services for about 100,000 inhabitants. Aqualia has also been responsible for the operation and maintenance of the entire El Realito aqueduct system since 2015 and this includes channelling and treating the drinking water from the El Realito dam (in the north of the Mexican state of Guanajuato) for the metropolitan area of San Luis Potosí (state capital). Previously, the company participated in the Aqueduct Querétaro II System, which supplies water to 700,000 people in the state of Querétaro. 

Aqualia also participated in the Ambato Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) project, located in Ecuador and which already meets the needs of 220,000 inhabitants. The project meant expanding the city's wastewater treatment coverage, which until the plant became operative was less than 5%.

Aqualia is currently working in four countries in the Latin American area: Mexico, Chile, Colombia and Ecuador.