Spain advances smart irrigation and calls for realistic water tariffs

Spain’s agriculture sector is turning to smart‑irrigation technology to address chronic water scarcity. Real‑time monitoring, automatic leak detection and remote valve control are reducing waste and operating costs on over 3.7 million hectares of irrigated land, while SCADA and telecontrol platforms help water utilities manage supply and treatment more efficiently.

At the same time, industry leaders warned that Spain’s water tariffs are far below the true cost of capture, treatment, distribution and infrastructure renewal. Experts from Veolia, Canal de Isabel II and Aganova highlighted that the average domestic price in Spain is about 43 % lower than the EU average and that under‑priced water threatens investment in both physical and digital assets needed to cope with frequent droughts and aging networks. They called for pricing that reflects the full cost of the water cycle to sustain the sector’s long‑term resilience.