The Mayor of Dénia, Rafa Carrió, has participated the 2th October 2026 at the Spain Smart Water Summit in Madrid, a key event in the water sector, where he presented the city's strategy to address the present and future challenges of water supply.
Carrió's speech focused on how the city, with a population exceeding 200.000 inhabitants In summer, it manages tourist pressure, resource availability, and the effects of climate change to ensure supply.
Water-related growth planning
Rafa Carrió participated in the panel discussion "Water Management in the Mediterranean Arc: Valencian Community, Region of Murcia, and Balearic Islands," which addressed the structural scarcity of resources and the need to adapt infrastructure to demanding scenarios. The mayor argued that Dénia's growth must be inextricably linked to water availability.
"Our General Plan is based on a fundamental premise: Dénia must grow in accordance with the resources it has available. Water shapes our present, but above all, we must guarantee it with the future city in mind," Carrió stated.
The municipality, which currently exceeds 50.000 inhabitants but it can exceed the 200.000 In summer, it handles highly variable demand. The service has approximately 500 kilometers of the supply network and some 150 kilometers sewer.
Diversification of sources and desalination of water
To secure the future, Carrió emphasized the diversification of water resources as key to reducing dependence on a single source. In this regard, she advocated for the future incorporation of desalinated seawater as a complementary resource.
"The water of the future in Dénia must anticipate the threats we face today. We need a diversified supply, with different resources available, that gives us full guarantees even during periods of peak demand," the mayor explained.
Collaboration with Aqualia and joint venture model
The mayor has praised the joint management with Aqualia since 1992This has allowed for improved service and has met the needs of a city with high seasonality.
"Over these years we have managed to resolve many of the problems that Dénia had. Today we can speak of a more peaceful situation and my commitment is that the difficulties we have experienced in the past will not be repeated," he stated.
Carrió referred to the joint venture model as a tool that combines the knowledge of the private partner with the direct participation of the local administration in strategic decisions.
"The joint venture provides us with two essential benefits: direct communication and shared decision-making power. The City Council and the private partner jointly analyze and decide on matters affecting the service, and at the same time, this model allows us to offer transparency to the public about how and why these decisions are made," he emphasized.
This model facilitates the financing of necessary investments, combining replacement and renovation funds with extraordinary means such as European funds and the investment capacity of the private partner. The goal is to make these investments compatible with the least possible impact on citizens' bills.
100% digitization with remote reading
Digitalization is another pillar of the water management model in Dénia. Currently, the municipality has remote meter reading in the 100% from their meters. This technology provides real-time information on consumption, improves efficiency, and streamlines the relationship with users.
"Digitalization allows us to better understand what is happening online, be more efficient, and offer citizens virtually real-time information. Having data helps us anticipate problems, detect anomalies, and make better decisions," the mayor stated.
A challenge for the Mediterranean Arc
The panel at the Spain Smart Water Summit also included the participation of Rafael Triguero, Mayor of Ibiza; José Sandoval Moreno, Director General of Water for the Region of Murcia; Cristina Sola, Water Commissioner of the Júcar River Basin Authority; and Pedro Ángel Roca, Mayor of Torre Pacheco.
Carrió concluded her speech by emphasizing the importance of anticipation: "We have made enormous progress, but we cannot be complacent. The best way to guarantee water for the future is to prevent problems today that could arise tomorrow."
A summit in English! In Madrid, when everyone else is from the local area. And to say that he's done a lot and that we need to plan ahead! What kind of information is that? And how much did this trip to Madrid cost?
Because all the events and conferences are titled in English, even though it's not our common language. We're just a bunch of sycophants, as the great Cela used to say—he knew a thing or two about English, but his Spanish was even worse.
It's obvious that the City Council has a stake in Aqualia.
The water bill we Dénia residents pay is still a rip-off, and what's it all for?
Ah, yes, so that tourism is comfortable and can continue invading our town, killing our culture, language and customs, as well as having one more argument to increase the bills.
It's going to be expensive to desalinate seawater to fill swimming pools.
Sure, sure, life used to be good in Denia, there were only a handful of us and we all knew each other...
Of course, there were a few minor details, like the fact that we went more than 20 years without running water. It wasn't even good enough to brush our teeth. Luckily, almost every autumn, with the arrival of the rains, we enjoyed a huge natural pool stretching from Plaza de París to the port, including Patricio Ferrándiz and the Paseo del Saladar, where our cars would sink peacefully… And let's not forget that in the mid-80s, we reached an unemployment rate of 23%… that's no small matter…
Blessed be the “invasion” that, with its money, once helped us to gradually climb out of that pit of misery.
Another thing is the real invasion (this one is real) that we are suffering now, but that is another topic.
All that empty rhetoric from the Mayor doesn't explain why, even if I go on vacation for a month leaving the main water valve in my house in Denia closed, the water bill for that month is around €50... Could it be the fault of the private "partner"?