Aqualia’s participation in the summit organised by iAgua provided an opportunity to share knowledge, experiences and a vision for the future regarding the main challenges facing the water sector. Lucas Díaz, director of Aqualia Spain, spoke at the CEOs’ round table, where he addressed some of the sector’s major challenges: infrastructure funding and the response to water shortages. Innovation and the application of new technologies were also prominent themes. Ernesto de la Plata, from the Engineering Department, presented the Villapérez biofactory model as an example of how applied intelligence can be incorporated from the earliest stages of engineering.& Marta Casao, from the Operations Department, demonstrated how digitalisation and digital twins are transforming the management of wastewater treatment plants and opening up new possibilities for more efficient and sustainable operations. Furthermore, Carlos Corcuera shared the key results and lessons learnt from the six PERTE projects developed by Aqualia, initiatives that have already had a direct positive impact on 1.8 million people across 174 municipalities.

SmVaK has opened the doors of the Havířov-Životice water reservoir (Ostrava) to show, via a video, how cleaning and maintenance work is carried out at these essential facilities. Featuring footage of the process and coverage by local media, the initiative has served to highlight the rigour with which work is carried out to guarantee water quality and safety, whilst also reinforcing transparency towards the public and trust in a service that demands the utmost responsibility and daily commitment.

The floating desalination plants at Yanbu have maintained an average output above their rated capacity, exceeding 150,000 m³ of drinking water per day. This result highlights the efficiency and reliability of the facilities, as well as the commitment and expertise of the professionals responsible for their operation.  Managed by HAAISCO, a company in which Aqualia and the Saudi group HAACO each hold a 50 per cent stake, this project comprises three desalination barges in the Red Sea. Together, they supply water to the Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) using advanced ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis and energy recovery technologies. Behind these results lies the co-ordinated work of the operations, maintenance, engineering and support services teams, whose expertise ensures service continuity and maintains the facilities’ standards of quality, sustainability and performance.

Aqualia’s innovation has also been on the menu at the D*na Festival Dénia 2026, one of the Mediterranean’s major gastronomic events. At the Aqualia Space, chef Bruno Ruiz demonstrated the culinary possibilities of Alma de Mar, the range of gourmet salts developed by making use of resources generated during the desalination process. Accompanied by Juan Arévalo, Head of Innovation Projects at Aqualia, the workshop provided the public with a tangible example of the circular economy applied to the water cycle. Furthermore, the company took part in the festival alongside chefs Paco Roncero and José Manuel López and reinforced its commitment to sustainability by providing a tap supplying water directly from the mains and distributing reusable containers to encourage the reduction of plastic use.

Oviedo (Asturias, Spain) hosted a technical workshop to share the results of the European REWAISE project, an initiative aimed at promoting innovative solutions for more efficient and circular water resource management. The event was attended by Manuel Sánchez, director of the North-West Regional Office, and Víctor Monsalvo, director of Innovation and project coordinator, who presented the key progress and lessons learnt. The event brought together institutional representatives and sector experts, who were able to gain first-hand insight into the work carried out in the  living labs in Denia, Tenerife, Salamanca and Almería, spaces where technologies are tested and validated with a view to tackling the challenges of the integrated water cycle. The event concluded with a visit to the Villapérez wastewater treatment plant, a benchmark for innovation and sustainability.