Agbar and the Mossos d'Esquadra have agreed to activate a safety prevention plan for water treatment plants in times of drought. The objective of the agreement is to prevent copper theft, mainly in treatment plants, since these are "critical" facilities and the theft of this material could mean that the plant must stop operating.
The paralysis of a treatment plant such as, for example, that of Baix Llobregat, would mean aggravating the current drought situation, since it would affect the production of regenerated water.
Currently, 1,500 liters/second of regenerated water is pumped from the Water Regeneration Station (ERA) of the Baix Llobregat treatment plant to Molins de Rei, to be poured into the river, and eight kilometers further down to capture it again at the Sant Joan Despí to process it and distribute it to almost three million people.
25% of the water consumed by the Barcelona metropolitan area comes from regenerated water. The Penal Code sanctions in its article 240.2 with sentences of 2 to 5 years in prison those who steal pipes, wiring, equipment or infrastructure components intended for the provision of services of general interest.
The agreement for the deployment of the security plan involves increasing the presence of Mossos d'Esquadra agents preventively in all facilities. Furthermore, if the alarms go off, the Mossos will receive a notice from Agbar and will prioritize any intervention to protect these key infrastructures and guarantee the continuity of the service.
