Home distribution of drinking water

Depósito Ibiza, 5.000 m3 de capacidad

The water arriving from different sources is stored in the tanks located in Collao. There are three windmills built in the mid-19th century in this unique locale which together form a hydraulic ensemble of three storage tanks: The Salvador Ivars tank built in 1967 has a capacity of 2,500 m3; the Ibiza tank built in 1970 has a capacity of 5,000 m3 and the 10,000 m3 capacity of the Europa tank built in 2003 raises the total storage capacity to 17,500 m3.

Analizador de cloro en continuo

There is an automatic water disinfection station in the Collao tanks, with a continuous analyser of the chlorine level which complies with the safety requirements established for these installations. The disinfection, consisting of a chlorination process by means of chlorine gas, is carried out in accordance with the parameters established by law.

The control of the transferred and treated m3 of water is done by means of several meters, which monitor the water extracted from the sources, the incoming water received on entering the tanks and the outgoing water when it leaves the tanks and flows into the distribution network. The water comes to the consumer through the distribution network. Constant maintenance is performed on the distribution network, renovating those sections where any deterioration is observed or that have become obsolete. Different points of the distribution networks have general area meters which are periodically revised, as consumption control stations have been installed in several of them. Through this system integrated into the remote control system the Service, the daily volumes consumed in these areas are known, thus enabling the real-time detection of changes produced by leaks, fraudulent consumption, etc.

There is a 2,500 m3 capacity regulating tank in the Benimarco section which supplies the Fantadix-Fustera tourist area which has an automatic re-chlorination installation and remote control monitoring systems.

Due to the mountainous terrain, water distribution to the tourist area is done through cast iron and steel pipelines in order to guarantee a regular supply of sufficient

pressure and volume. The segments of the network built between 1960 and 1980 are periodically renovated, as they have become obsolete. 

Telemando-Puesto central

The consumption of 9,318 users is registered using bi-monthly readings of numerical metres by data collectors. Since May 2009, a radio system has been used in some buildings of the town centre and this system will be more widely used in the future. The stock of meters in use has been in an ongoing renovation process since 2001, with the goal of maintaining the maximum age of any metre in use at 12 years. Seals have been installed on all the meters to prevent fraud. 

Contador AQUAradio, 2009

Contador Delaunet, 1966

The consumption of 9,318 users is registered using bi-monthly readings of numerical metres by data collectors. Since May 2009, a radio system has been used in some buildings of the town centre and this system will be more widely used in the future. The stock of meters in use has been in an ongoing renovation process since 2001, with the goal of maintaining the maximum age of any metre in use at 12 years. Seals have been installed on all the meters to prevent fraud.

Control and treatment of water quality

CONTROL AND TREATMENT OF WATER FOR CONSUMPTION:

Taking into account the high quality of the water extracted from the ground, no treatment to make the water drinkable is necessary. Only a chlorination system from a device adding a measured dosage of chlorine gas in the Collao storage tanks and a re-chlorination system with hypochlorite in the regulating tank of Benimarco are used.

The chlorination systems are integrated in the remote control system in order that the status of the chlorine supply is known at all times as well as the degree of colouring in the water on leaving the tanks. The corresponding alarms are signalled if the water does not meet the parameters required by the standards or if it necessary to place the bottles of chlorine gas. There is also a system for neutralising chlorine gas leaks, with the corresponding alarm if necessary.

 Autokey, from 1895                                  

Laboratorio análisis de Jalón

The Municipal service performs the analyses and examinations required in R.D. (Royal Decree) 140/2003 of 7 February 2003, by means of an accredited laboratory, conducting them as required by the protocol and self-control and management of the Benissa water supply, which has been rated as satisfactory by the Environmental Quality Services of the Regional Ministry for the Environment,Water, Development and Housing.

The Service is inspected annually by a designated chemist and every three years by the Environmental Quality Section of the Regional Ministry for the Environment, Water, Development and Housing, with each inspector issuing the corresponding favourable reports.

The Service is registered in the General Food Safety Register as no. 27.00215/A.

Management and organisation of the Service

WATER MANAGEMENT

In 1966, the then- Ministry of Local Government approved the resolution enabling the Benissa City Council to set up a municipal drinking water supply and distribution service, directly managing it as a monopoly governed by a Regulation.

COMPOSITION OF WORK FORCE AND WORK TEAMS.

The Service has a work force composed of 1 Chief of Service, 3 administrative officials, two meter readers, 3 official plumbers and 4 assistant plumbers.

The administrative infrastructure of the Town Council is available to the Service. The Service also has sufficient means to carry out maintenance of the installations, hiring companies or professionals on those occasions requiring a great degree of specialization. ( Water analysis, maintenance of transformer centres, pump repairs, etc.)

Work force of the Municipal Drinking Water Service

CONSUMER SERVICES.

The office of the municipal service is open to the public from 8.00 am to 3.00 pm. They offer services including contracting the service, change of ownership, meter reading, billing, complaint service and collecting notices of incidents and breakdowns. Billing is done on a bi-monthly basis, with an informative bill sent to each user. Collecting payments for the bills is delegated to  Gestión Tributaria, which issues bi-annual charges of the bill. During the hours the office is not open, the Drinking Water Service has a 24-hour telephone line for reporting breakdowns at 639 13 57 89. The different incidents are attended to by telephone through this service well-known to the residents of Benissa.

Supply sources and installations

SOURCES OF DRINKING WATER SUPPLY FOR THE TOWN OF BENISSA.

The water the Benissa City Council provides for the drinking water supply is entirely groundwater. The supply wells are located in the municipal areas of Benidoleig, Benigembla and Benissa.

The main characteristics of each one are:

CAMI SANET WELL. Pinaret section (BENIDOLEIG)

In the Extraordinary Session of 29 April 1964, the Benissa City Council agreed to purchase 500 of the 3,000 total shares in a well located in the municipal area of Benidoleig (Alicante). In 2000 and 2001, the Benissa City Council purchased an additional 255 shares, and currently possesses 750 of the 3,000 total shares.

The well is located in the Girona river basin. The ownership title of the well is SAT No. 3498 POZO CAMINO DE SANET and is registered in the Catálogo de Aguas Privadas de la Confederación Hidrográfica del Júcar (Catalogue of Private Waters of the Júcar Hydrographic Confederation) under no. 463/1988 (1988IC1790), with a maximum volume of 548,000 m3/year. 160,000 m3/year of that volume are destined for irrigation and 388,000 m3/year are earmarked for supplying the town of Benissa.

To transfer the water to Benissa involved complicated negotiations with the Ministry of Public Works which finally resulted in approval for awarding the project of the drinking water supply to Benissa in 1967. Participants in the work were the Ministry, the Júcar Hydrographic Confederation and the citizens of Benissa through special taxes.

The installations the City Council has for transferring the water from Benidoleig consist of a facility with a 630 kVa transformer centre, two Worthington horizontal pumps with a 200 KW AEG motor, a control panel with two static starters and a chamber with a capacity of 300 m3.

The SAT (Sociedad Agraria de Transformación) deposits the water in the 300 m3 chamber adjacent to the well and by using the installed pumps pushes the water up to a chamber (Dura chamber) located on Mount Siguili, 280 metres above the mouth of the well. The impulsion system has a pressure switch installed which signals an alarm by remote control if the established pressure is not maintained due to a breakdown in the system. The water is transferred from the Dura chamber to the drinking water tanks of Benissa, located in the Collao section, by the force of gravity and a 300 mm diameter fibre cement pipeline running for 14.8 kilometres.

The installation has a volume meter which measures the outgoing water and another meter to record the incoming water in the 500 mm connection pipeline in the municipal area of Jalón. There is a remote control station which regulates the filling of the chamber next to the well, the hours of operation for the pumps and transfers the programmed alerts to the central facility and the operators involved.

Water quality is controlled through the analyses established in the protocol and the self-control and management of the Benissa water supply, which has been rated as satisfactory by the Environmental Quality section of the Regional Ministry for the Environment, Water, Development and Housing. In Benissa's case, that involves performing a complete analysis annually. The water is classified as drinkable.

SAN ANTONIO WELL, Garroferals section (BENIGEMBLA)

In the Session of 5 September 1972, the Benissa City Council reached an agreement, with Manolo Torres acting as the intermediary, to purchase the percussion-drilled wells of the Rey Hermanos company in the municipal area of Benigembla (Alicante), declaring the contract for purchasing it an extraordinary case. One of these wells was no. 3, the present-day San Antonio well.

The well is located in the Jalón Gorgos river basin. The ownership title of the well is the Benissa City Council, registered as no. 2005CP0016 of the Júcar Hydrographic Confederation, with the water used for supplying the town of Benissa.

To transfer the water to Benissa, a 350 mm fibre cement pipeline was built in 1976, paid for in full by means of special taxes on the residents of Benissa. In 2008, the Regional Ministry of Public Works, Development and Transport renovated the pipeline from Benigembla to Benissa, together with the network from Vall de Laguart to Calpe.

The installations the City Council has for transferring the water from the San Antonio well consists of a facility containing a 160 kVA transformer centre, a 150 HP Pleuger submersible pump, a manoeuvring control panel and a variable frequency drive. There is also an Aturia brand replacement pump in the town storage facility with the same technical characteristics as the installed pump.

The pump motor propels the water from the well to a chamber 66 metres higher than the mouth of the well. The water from the three wells the Benissa City Council owns in Benigembla join together there and the water is transferred to the drinking water tanks of Benissa, located in the Collao section, by the force of gravity and a 500 mm cast iron pipeline running for 14.8 kilometres. The impulsion system has a pressure switch installed which signals an alarm by remote control if the established pressure is not maintained due to a breakdown in the system.

The plot is fenced off and the mouth of the well protected by a cage. The installation has a volume meter which measures the outgoing water and another general meter at Collao to record the incoming water. There is a remote control station which regulates the hours of operation for the pumps and transfers the programmed alerts to the central facility and the operators involved.

Water quality is controlled through the analyses established in the protocol and the self-control and management of the Benissa water supply, which has been rated as satisfactory by the Environmental Quality section of the Regional Ministry for the Environment, Water, Development and Housing. In Benissa's case, that involves performing a complete analysis annually. The water is classified as drinkable.

MANUEL TORRES WELL, Llencas section (BENIGEMBLA)

In the Session of 5 September 1972, the Benissa City Council reached an agreement, with Manolo Torres acting as the intermediary, to purchase the percussion-drilled wells of the Rey Hermanos company in the municipal area of Benigembla (Alicante), declaring the contract for purchasing it an extraordinary case. One of these wells was no. 1, the present-day Manuel Torres well.

The well is located in the Jalón Gorgos river basin. The ownership title of the well is the Benissa City Council, registered as no. 2005CP0016 of the Júcar Hydrographic Confederation, with the water used for supplying the town of Benissa.

The well went into operation in 1985. As with the San Antonio well, a 350 mm fibre cement pipeline was built in 1976 to transfer the water to Benissa, paid for in full by means of special taxes on the town residents. In 2008, the Regional Ministry of Public Works, Development and Transport renovated the pipeline from Benigembla to Benissa, together with the network from Vall de Laguart to Calpe.

The installations the City Council has for transferring the water from the Manuel Torres well consists of a facility containing a 250 kVA transformer centre, a 230 HP Pleuger submersible pump, a control panel and variable frequency drive. It has a continuous water level meter installed, for the purpose of knowing what the water level is at all times and in order to protect the pump motor in case the level drops. There is also a Pleuger brand replacement pump in the town storage facility with the same technical characteristics as the installed pump.

The pump motor propels the water from the well to a chamber 50 metres higher than the mouth of the well. The water from the three wells the Benissa City Council owns in Benigembla join together there and the water is transferred to the drinking water tanks of Benissa, located in the Collao section, by the force of gravity and a 500 mm cast iron pipeline running for 14.8 kilometres. The impulsion system has a pressure switch installed which signals an alarm by remote control if the established pressure is not maintained due to a breakdown in the system.

The plot is fenced off and the mouth of the well protected by a cage. The installation has a volume meter which measures the outgoing water and another general meter at Collao to record the incoming water. There is a remote control station which regulates the hours of operation for the pumps and transfers the programmed alerts to the central facility and the operators involved.

Water quality is controlled through the analyses established in the protocol and the self-control and management of the Benissa water supply, which has been rated as satisfactory by the Environmental Quality section of the Regional Ministry for the Environment, Water, Development and Housing. In Benissa's case, that involves performing a complete analysis annually. The water is classified as drinkable.

The state government commission, in a session held 27 June 2000, adopted a measure naming well no. 1 in Benigembla as the Manuel Torres well in recognition of the decisive role he played in the acquisition of the wells in the Benigembla municipal area.

CORRALET WELL,  Corralet section (BENIGEMBLA)

In 1986, the Benissa City Council reached an agreement, with Manolo Torres acting as the intermediary, to purchase the percussion-drilled wells of the Vegaiberica, S.A. company in the municipal area of Benigembla (Alicante). The wells are named Benigembla I (the present-day Boc Esmaig well) and Benigembla III (the present-day Corrales well). The wells were purchased by shares and the company promised a portion of them to the Benigembla City Council and SAT No. 733 of Benigembla.

In 1991, after intense negotiations and for the purpose of facilitating the operation of the wells, the co-ownership agreement was dissolved, with the Boc Esmaig well assigned to the Benigembla City Council and SAT no. 733 of Benigembla, and the Corralet well awarded to the Benissa City Council. A clause was agreed on whereby the Benissa City Council would provide additional water, as an auxiliary supply, in the event certain incidents might occur at the Boc Esmaig well.

The well is located in the Jalón Gorgos river basin. The ownership title of the well is the Benissa City Council, registered as no. 91-CP-0098 of the Júcar Hydrographic Confederation, with the water used for supplying the town of Benissa.

In 1996, the Regional Ministry of Public Works and Urban Development awarded the work for the installation of the Corralet well, carrying out the installation of the well and the pipeline joining it to the existing chamber into which the water from the San Antonio and Manuel Torres wells emptied. From that point, the water was transported via the 350 mm fibre cement pipeline built in 1976, which was paid for in full by means of special taxes on the residents of Benissa. In 2008, the Regional Ministry of Public Works, Development and Transport renovated the pipeline from Benigembla to Benissa, together with the network from Vall de Laguart to Calpe.

The installations the City Council has for transferring the water from the Corralet well consists of a facility containing a 400 kVA transformer centre, a 320 HP Pleuger submersible pump, and another building where control panel and a variable frequency drive are located. It has a continuous water level meter installed, for the purpose of knowing what the water level is at all times and in order to protect the pump motor in case the level drops. There is also a Pleuger brand replacement pump in the town storage facility with the same technical characteristics as the installed pump.

The pump motor propels the water from the well to a chamber 39 metres higher than the mouth of the well. The water from the three wells the Benissa City Council owns in Benigembla join together there and the water is transferred to the drinking water tanks of Benissa, located in the Collao section, by the force of gravity and a 500 mm cast iron pipeline running for 14.8 kilometres. The impulsion system has a pressure switch installed which signals an alarm by remote control if the established pressure is not maintained due to a breakdown in the system.

The installation has two volume meters which measure the outgoing water and the difference in potential supplies of water to help the town of Benigembla, and another general meter at Collao to record the incoming water. The plot is fenced off and the mouth of the well protected by a chamber. There is a remote control station which regulates the hours of operation for the pumps and transfers the programmed alerts to the central facility and the operators involved. It also has a motorised valve activated by remote control programming for supplying water to Benigembla if needed.

Water quality is controlled through the analyses established in the protocol and the self-control and management of the Benissa water supply, which has been rated as satisfactory by the Environmental Quality section of the Regional Ministry for the Environment, Water, Development and Housing. In Benissa's case, that involves performing a complete analysis annually. The water is classified as drinkable.

CANOR WELL, Canor section (BENISSA)

In 1984, the Benissa City Council requested a study from the Spanish Geological and Mining Institute (IGME) for the purpose of searching for supply sources within the municipal area. With the assistance of the Regional Public Works Ministry, eight exploratory wells were drilled at the sites indicated by the IGME and the best results were found in the Canor well.

The well is located in the aquifer of the Benissa Depression. The ownership title of the well is the Benissa City Council, registered as no. 2005CP0016 of the Júcar Hydrographic Confederation, with the water used for supplying the town of Benissa. In 1986, the installation work of the Canor well was carried out, as was the 300 mm pipeline from the well to the water tanks in Collao, with 60% of the cost subsidised by the Regional Ministry of Public Works.

The installations the City Council has for transferring the water from the Canor well consists of a facility containing a 160 kVA transformer centre, a 100 HP Pleuger submersible pump, and a control panel with a static starter. It has a continuous water level meter installed, for the purpose of knowing what the water level is at all times and in order to protect the pump motor in case the level drops. There is also a Pleuger brand replacement pump in the town storage facility with the same technical characteristics as the installed pump.

The pump motor propels the water directly from the well through a 300 mm fibre cement pipeline running for 4.1 kilometres to the drinking water tanks of Benissa, located in Collao.

The plot is fenced off and the mouth of the well protected with a covered chamber. The installation has a volume meter measuring the outgoing water.

Water quality is controlled through the analyses established in the protocol and the self-control and management of the Benissa water supply, which has been rated as satisfactory by the Environmental Quality section of the Regional Ministry for the Environment, Water, Development and Housing. In Benissa's case, that involves performing a complete analysis annually. The water is classified as drinkable.