Ecological Transition launches public consultation on PERTE aid for the Digitalisation of the Water Cycle

The Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge is launching a public consultation on the draft order, which modifies the regulatory bases of Order TED/934/2022, of 23 September, for granting competitive aid for the development of projects to improve the efficiency of the urban water cycle and approves the second competitive call (2023) for projects to improve the efficiency of the urban water cycle, in the framework of the Plan for Recovery, Transformation and Resilience within the PERTE for the Digitalisation of the Water Cycle.

This second call, which has a budget of 200 million euros, is aimed at projects for digitising the urban water cycle, covering upstream supply, distribution, sanitation and treatment with the clear objective of improving knowledge of water uses; reducing losses; improving system efficiency; optimising energy expenditure and promoting transparency and communication with citizens and the different public and private entities involved in the different phases of the urban cycle. In addition, initiatives are included to make it easier for operators and service holders to comply with and adapt to new water regulatory challenges. All these actions are key in the context of the drought the country is currently experiencing.

As in the first call for proposals, 60 million is set aside for this second call for proposals. If the funds are not exhausted, they will be added to the general line for applications whose territorial scope, either as a group or individually, includes more than five municipalities. The set of fundable actions will also be divided into three blocks: planning (type A), implementation of actions to improve efficiency and digitisation (type B) or information management (type C).

However, in this second call for proposals, the definition of type A actions has been broadened to include support for the preparation of emergency plans for droughts, integrated management plans for sanitation systems, monitoring protocols, among others. The creation of digital platforms for end-user communication is also being strengthened to achieve standards of excellence in terms of transparency, all in line with the ultimate objectives of the PERTE for the digitalisation of the water cycle.

Furthermore, this call not only improves the levels of aid, which can now be up to 100 %, but also increases the aid intensity for actions carried out in municipalities with up to 20,000 inhabitants compared to 5,000 inhabitants in the previous call.

The amount of aid will range between 1,000,000 and 10,000,000 per project as a general rule, an amount that will vary according to the number of inhabitants of the municipalities in which the actions take place.

The final publication of the rules in the BOE is expected to take place during the month of July, with the submission of projects starting in October of this year. The deadline for submitting proposals, observations and suggestions is open until 9 June, through the website of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge..

Non official translation