Caption: Actual 3D laser scan of a section of public thoroughfare and accessible sewer, represented as a point cloud.

Barcelona City Council has once again awarded FCC Medio Ambiente the contract for the cleaning and maintenance of the city’s public sewerage network, worth €121 million over the next eight years, with a possible extension for a further two years. This renewal reaffirms the trust that the City Council first placed in FCC Medio Ambiente in 1911, when it awarded the company its very first service contract.

The service, which serves 1.7 million people and employs over 200 staff, is taking a decisive technological leap forward with the introduction of a fully digitalised management system that combines human and artificial intelligence to deliver a more efficient, safe and sustainable operation. The new model relies on the intensive use of applied AI to optimise routes, workloads and maintenance and structural inspection tasks across the network, with automatic fault detection, as well as to generate reports and dashboards in real time. FCC Medio Ambiente is introducing, for the first time, the first digital twin of an accessible sewer network, a pioneering tool for the planning and advanced analysis of infrastructure. This contract fits perfectly with the technical services of Barcelona City Council, organised by the public company BCASA, which possesses the highest technical expertise and the most advanced systems in the public management of all municipal services related to the water cycle.

The service incorporates state-of-the-art machinery and vehicles, sized to suit the urban characteristics of Barcelona and the sewerage service itself, making them more efficient, ergonomic and safer for workers. Among the new technologies are specialised drones for flights in open air, confined spaces and on water, as well as advanced inspection cameras and specific equipment for cleaning oil and grease from bathing areas.
The service’s connection with Barcelona City Council provides real-time operational data, improving structural control of the network, waste management and the quality of maintenance.

Sustainability will remain one of the service’s core pillars; since 2015, it has been the first to operate with a 100% electric, zero-emission fleet.  Zero drinking water consumption and the use of renewable energy in works and facilities will be implemented, and super-soundproofed generators will be used. It is worth noting that in 2024, Barcelona’s Sewerage Service achieved the Zero Waste Certificate awarded by AENOR, thereby becoming a national benchmark in environmental management as the first municipal service to obtain this certification.

The contract covers more than 1,600 kilometres of network and manages around 3,600 tonnes of waste. Among other things, the service is also responsible for the maintenance of more than 80,000 drains and 13 stormwater reservoirs, as well as large-capacity siphons, sedimentation tanks and pumping stations.
This renewal puts people first and will prioritise trained, protected and motivated teams, with specific occupational safety plans, health monitoring and training and promotion pathways that reinforce equal opportunities and professional development. 

The service’s social commitment goes further, and it will recruit people who are unemployed, face particular difficulties in accessing the labour market, or are at risk of social exclusion, thereby reinforcing the role of the service as a driver of integration and cohesion in the city.