AQUAVAL - Sustainable Urban Water Management Plans, promoting SUDS and considering Climate Change, in the Province of Valencia

The principal aim of the project is to provide innovative solutions to problems related to runoff quantity and quality in the urban environment, through the integration of part of the hydraulic infrastructure into the municipality landscape using Sustainable Urban Drainage Drainage Systems (SUDS), thereby decreasing the impacts of urban development and adding social and environmental values to the actions. Activities will be carried out in the cities of Xativa and Benaguasil, where the problem of wastewater overflow occurs almost yearly, discharging into nearby water resources (the Albaida and Turia rivers). The project shall work towards avoiding sewer overflows and flooding within the urban area during frequent rainfall events, by providing resilience to the drainage infrastructure to the effects of Climate Change. In addition, it shall reduce energy consumption both in the water management cycle (pumping, sewer treatment plants) and in buildings, reduce the “heat island” effect produced in cities, save on potable water by exploiting Natural Water Resources (rain water) in order to use it for irrigation, street cleaning and develop community environmental policy through the integration of environmental concerns into planning and urban water policies.