Sustainability
Changing this current slide of this carousel will change the current slide of the thumbnail carousel that follows.
In recent years, the traditional lighting has been progressively replaced with LED technology, due to its low consumption and the coloured lighting it offers. The Magic Fountain has also been using groundwater since 2010.
Use of groundwater
In the biogeographical area of the Mediterranean, hydrological resources are precious, due to irregular rainfall and occasional periods of drought. For this reason, it is necessary to employ planning and management strategies and policies that, in accordance with sustainability principles, help to save water and use it responsibly, and make use of all available resources (groundwater, regenerated water, rainwater and seawater).
Due to Barcelona's commitment to these sustainable values and to the climate, the City Council has devised various technical plans to improve the way the city manages its water. These include the Plan for Using Alternative Hydrological Resources (PLARHAB 2013), which aims to reduce water consumption by municipal services, identify existing hydrological resources, analyse which uses and needs can be satisfied in accordance with their characteristics, calculate potential demand and establish what infrastructures are required for their exploitation.
As part of this plan, Barcelona City Council has also promoted a number of measures to reduce water consumption, actions that have been especially significant in municipal facilities and services, mainly the city's ornamental fountains.
To this end, the Magic Fountain has been using groundwater since 2010. The fountain is filled with water from various abstraction wells, which, in addition to filling the fountain, also serve almost all of Montjuïc mountain, filling its other fountains and ponds, as well as being used for street cleaning and watering various green areas.
The fountain is emptied once or twice a year for cleaning, and it is topped up every week so that it is at its magical best during the shows.
Energy efficiency
Barcelona City Council aims to contribute to the fight against climate change, by improving the energy efficiency of its facilities. In the Maria Cristina complex, it is replacing the traditional incandescent or halogen lighting with LED technology, mainly due to its low consumption levels and because it enables coloured lighting. Equipment for controlling consumption, which enables major financial and energy savings, has also been installed.
Between 2014 and 2016, the lighting for one cascade was changed every year, first Cascade 4, then Cascade 2 and finally Cascade 1.
In 2016, the light projectors were also replaced with lower consumption ones, with a saving of over 50% in installed power.
A sustainable fountain
The Magic Fountain has been using groundwater since 2010, as part of Barcelona's commitment to sustainability. A commitment that has resulted in the implementation of a number of measures aimed at reducing water consumption, especially in municipal services and facilities.