• The Madrid city inaugurates a water management model that will reduce drinking water consumption.
• The infrastructure has been developed to combine technical innovation and environmental education

The municipality of Las Rozas, Madrid, has sought to promote an environmental strategy by implementing a rainwater collection and reuse system on the municipal property "La Talaverona ." This initiative combines technology, climate change adaptation, and citizen education to ensure efficient irrigation for the municipality's urban gardens without relying exclusively on drinking water.

The project responds to an increasingly pressing challenge: the scarcity of water resources in a context of recurring droughts. With this system, the Las Rozas City Council aims to transform what was previously a loss—rainwater lost through runoff—into a source for irrigation.

Project objectives

The plan was born with a clear purpose: to harness the rainwater normally lost through runoff to reduce pressure on drinking water consumption and advance a more resilient urban model. Its main objectives include:

1. Optimize the use of rainwater through collection and filtration systems.

2. Reduce spending on mains water, allocating those savings to other municipal needs.

3. Promote environmental education through workshops and outreach activities.

The City Council has emphasized that this measure not only represents an environmental benefit, but also an opportunity to raise public awareness about the responsible use of resources.

System operation

The project is structured around a complete circuit that captures, treats, and utilizes rainwater. The work sequence includes:

1. Collection and conduction: the water collected on the farm is channeled through drainage ditches until it reaches the main system.

2. Natural filtration: the first purification is carried out through green filters with bulrush plants or rushes (Thypa domingensis) , capable of retaining solids and improving water quality.

3. Storage tank: Once filtered, the water is stored in a tank with sufficient capacity to supply the garden plots.

4. Efficient irrigation: the supply is connected to the network that serves the crops, ensuring rational use adapted to the needs of each season.

Investment and financing

The system design was supported by the Madrid Institute for Rural, Agricultural and Food Research and Development (IMIDRA) , which provided technical expertise to ensure the project's effectiveness and sustainability.

The project has involved a total investment of €105,748, with part of this funding coming from the Community of Madrid and Las Rozas City Council 's climate change adaptation project grants .

With this joint economic effort, the town is positioning itself as a regional benchmark for environmental innovation, demonstrating how collaboration between institutions can lead to replicable solutions in other municipalities and can also become a tool for education and social cohesion.