Background The relevant policy objectives for water quantity are to ensure and promote sustainable water abstraction and sustainable use of surface and ground waters. With the exception of south-west Europe, total water abstractions have decreased over the last decade in Europe. Most sectors have cut their water use through measures such as greater water reuse and improved appliance efficiency. Higher water prices have also played a role. However, there has been a slight trend towards agricultural water use, such as for irrigation, in western southern Europe. Furthermore, 18% of Europe’s population lives in countries that are water stressed (the water exploitation index (WEI) identifies those countries that have high demand in relation to their resources and therefore are prone to suffer problems of “water stress”). Spain, for example, is one of the countries considered to be water stressed. Objectives The general objective of the Optimizagua project was to find methods for reducing the water abstraction levels in southern European Countries. A specific objective was to demonstrate and measure the savings in water used for different cultures through the use of prototypes which combine and integrate artificial intelligent and clean technologies (wind power and solar power for the energy supply of devices) with traditional systems of water control. The application of these technologies should allow watering only where necessary and where climate conditions are suitable for efficient irrigation, thereby avoiding irrigation tasks if it is raining and/or it is windy and/or temperatures are extreme. Further objectives were to: • Save water up to 35-50% in different watering applications through four pilot actions orientated to test and validate the prototypes according to the different watering uses (agriculture – maize and wheat – as well as private and public green spaces’ irrigation), moistening requirement by types of crops and rainfall average. • Analyse and parameterise under environmental cost/benefit indicators optimal models for various applications in watering uses. • Minimise the present water deviations generated by exceeding the minimum required by the crops. • Disseminate models and results of each tested application to a targeted public (farmers, local authorities and architects). Results The Optimizagua Project has successfully proven to be efficient in reducing water consumption in different irrigation cultures (cereals – wheat and maize – and grass). The prototype used for the experiment was the first to combine traditional and advanced technologies in order to face the different sides of non-efficient water abstraction systems. It combined an innovative technology based on programmable automatic machines; data communication and transmission devices using General Packet Radio Service (GPRS); sensors for detecting the moisture in the soil and the time of year; the incorporation of renewable energies in the prototype itself, and the integration of the set of traditional systems for the collection and storage of rainwater (tanks, lakes or ponds) for their subsequent reuse for irrigation purposes. Clear advantages of the system included: • Global water savings per year: o > 60% in public parks. o > 50% in private green areas. o ± 40% in agriculture. o > 20,000 m3 in only 4 hectares. • Automatic control of the watering process: Telemetry (radio) and GPRS used for data communication between the different system components and also between the watering system itself and the person in charge enabled the real-time control and management of the watering system from a remote station. • “Smart watering” based on the particular plant species, soil type, weather conditions and season. • The initial stage of a new technology that combines alternative energies with “smart watering”. • Less manual labour as the plant growth is adjusted to achieve the necessary landscaping quality. • More precise control of the parks, offering multiple control parameters, representing some new lines of work in the management of landscaped areas: The overall system allowed for example a technician to control and manage various fields or parks simultaneously and to act accordingly, as well as to immediately detect leaks caused by water pipe breaks or any abnormal system performance. Besides the significant water savings, the main environmental benefits of the project included: • A significant reduction in many cases of the energy cost for “moving the water” by hydrocarbon-powered pumps. • The knowledge of the exact amount of water consumed which has tremendous added value as a starting point for measuring the rational use of water and comparing the widespread watering excesses. • The possibility to analyse the water requirements of a specific crop or variety and relate it to the climatology of the area and the actual availability of water that can be used for watering and irrigation purposes (adequate management of the offer and demand). • The harvesting and reuse of rainwater for watering purposes which is of interest when combined with ornamental landscaping items (strips of water, lakes for regulating the watering system etc.), the creation of areas of interest to biodiversity (wetlands, artificial lagoons, etc.), the watering of small areas or crops with low water requirements The project’s success will assure its continuation in the future. The Optimizagua Project will continue to be applied in the creation of new parks and gardens in Zaragoza. Many stakeholders are interested in the project results and want to apply the same model. Furthermore, the results of Optimizagua have been incorporated in the legislative framework of the Ley de Saneamiento y de Aguas Residuales de La Rioja (of 25 October 2006) and in Zaragoza’s draft bylaw on “Ecoeficiencia en el uso del agua” (Eco-efficiency in Water Use). This project has been selected as one of the 21 "Best" LIFE Environment projects in 2007-2008