Expansion of the groundwater network nearing completion
Work to expand the city’s groundwater network is set to be completed in the coming months. The project will increase groundwater availability by 20%, equivalent to 150,000 cubic metres, for a range of urban uses, including street cleaning, sewer maintenance and the irrigation of parks and gardens. The scheme is part of the Pla Endreça and is aligned with the Pla Clima, both aimed at making the city more resilient to the effects of climate change.
Groundwater reservoir at Glòries Park
The areas where work has already been completed include:
- Alfons el Magnànim system: the distribution pipe feeding the existing reservoir has been upgraded and extended, linked to a new well. The project cost €500,000 and has also improved the Taulat groundwater system.
- Palau Reial system: a new distribution pipe has been built to cross Avinguda Diagonal, supplying the mountain side. The €400,000 investment adds 15,000 m³ of water.
- Avinguda Diagonal and Consell de Cent supply: the network has been extended across Passeig de Sant Joan, connecting with works conducted as part of the green axes project. Pipes have been laid for future connections to the Eixample system on the Besòs side of Passeig de Sant Joan, and the Diagonal pipeline has been extended from Passeig de Sant Joan to Carrer de Girona in anticipation of further growth. The €300,000 investment will add around 55,000 m³ of groundwater to the network.
- Continuous chlorination: €1.3 million has been invested to improve water quality throughout the groundwater distribution system.
The following works are expected to finish by October:
- Can Batlló system: a new distribution pipe has been laid from the new Can Batlló reservoir to lower sections of the Montjuïc supply system. The €3.1 million project, 80% complete, will provide 10,000 m³ of water annually.
- Eixample system: a new groundwater reservoir has been built in Joan Miró Park, alongside extensions to the network along Consell de Cent, linking Passeig de Sant Joan with the Glòries reservoir. Existing reservoirs at Passeig de Sant Joan and Plaça de les Glòries have also been upgraded. The €4.8 million investment will contribute 20,000 m³ of water.
By the first quarter of 2026, work is due to finish on:
- Montjuïc system: a €9.6 million investment to add 50,000 m³ of water. This includes the construction of three new reservoirs at Montjuïc Castle, the Tres Pins nursery and the Joan Brossa Gardens. New pipelines will link Joan Brossa to the Poble-sec system, while the other two reservoirs will be connected to the area around the Palau Nacional.
Overall, around €20 million is being invested in the expansion of the groundwater network under the Pla Endreça. The goal is to increase the area of green space irrigated with this alternative water source by 21 hectares, bringing the total to 186 hectares.
Further information
A Parks and Gardens worker watering a tree using groundwater transported by lorry
