Desalination Plant for Barcelona's Drinking Water

This month, Barcelona residents may begin to notice their tap water tastes better. On July 20th, the Catalan government will begin to supply their municipal network with desalinated water from the Mediterranean. This will improve drinking water quality, but also increase treatment costs. Their goal is to rely on desalinated water only during water shortages. In the radio interview below, a representative from the treatment facility acknowledged that the treatment cost per cubic meter is between 0.3-0.45 Euros per cubic meter. Based on the literature review I have conducted, the desalination treatment plants I am studying upstream, in Sant Joan Despi and Abrera, probably also have simliar treatment costs. Next week I move to the Barcelona Metropolitan Region with the hopes of working with the water treatment managers in order to find creative ways to bring these costs down, and simultaneously generate environmental benefits in the Llobregat River as well.

Listen to the tour of the desalination facility here. [in Catalan]