Water resource management in Spain has embarked on a historic transformation towards comprehensive digitalisation. The publication in the Official State Gazette (BOE) of Order TED/1191/2024, dated 24 October, marks a turning point in the control of water use, drastically changing the way in which volumes used by water users, returns and discharges into the public water domain are measured, recorded and reported.
What does the new Order TED/1191/2024 regulate, and what are its objectives?
The Order TED/1191/2024 is the technical regulation governing the implementation of electronic systems for the volumetric monitoring of water in water supply schemes, irrigation return flows and discharges into the public water domain. Its main objective is to replace analogue records with an automated digital model that guarantees the sustainable and transparent use of water resources in Spain.
This ministerial order completely repeals the former Order ARM/1312/2009 with the aim of modernising water governance through information technology, integrating directly with the objectives of the PERTE for the digitalisation of the water cycle.
The regulation seeks to eliminate opacity in consumption and paper-based management by requiring water flows to be recorded using standardised, tamper-proof digital files that are automatically submitted to the authorities.
Strategic objectives of the Order
The strategic objectives of the regulation are based on four pillars of control:
- Quantitative control: accurate measurement of the volume of water abstracted from rivers and groundwater bodies.
- Qualitative control: real-time monitoring of the analytical composition of discharges.
- Return water monitoring: measurement of the water returned to the natural environment by irrigation systems.
- Interoperability: use of formats compatible with the National Interoperability Scheme (ENI).
The urgency of this regulation stems from the guidelines of the European Water Framework Directive (Directive 2000/60/EC) and the repeated reports from the Court of Auditors, which warn of the quantitative and qualitative pressure on water basins in Spain.
Given the current climate change scenario, the lack of digitised data increased uncertainty in the management of water reserves, accelerating critical processes such as desertification, loss of vegetation cover and the salinisation of aquifers due to uncontrolled abstraction.
Scope of application: to whom does this regulation apply?
Order TED/1191/2024 applies to all physical and legal persons, as well as entities without legal personality, who are holders of water abstraction rights, irrigation return flows or authorised discharges in river basins managed by the General State Administration.
The legal text limits compliance to inter-community river basins (such as the Ebro, Duero, Tajo, Guadiana, Guadalquivir, Segura and Júcar, amongst others). Meanwhile, although legal entities are required by law to report and transmit data electronically in all circumstances, the regulation introduces procedural exceptions for natural persons managing small-scale traditional water rights, allowing them to opt for physical reporting, though without exempting them from the technical obligation to install and maintain digital metering equipment.
Implementation timetable and deadlines
Order TED/1191/2024 came into force on 1st November 2024, setting out a transitional adaptation period of between 1 and 3 years for the installation of electronic systems and up to 4 years for the submission of the first technical certifications.
To prevent the collapse of the technology market and allow for an orderly transition of existing facilities, a phased timetable was drawn up based on the maximum annual pollutant load or water volume authorised for operators under their concession agreements.
Large-scale developments were the first to reach the end of their term, leaving the greatest leeway for smaller operations.
| Type of Installation / Requirement | Maximum Adaptation Period | Deadline for Compliance |
| Category 3 water abstractions (≥500,000 m3/year). Installation of equipment and submission of information. | 1 year | 1st November 2025 |
| Second-category water abstractions and second- and third-category discharges. Installation of equipment and submission of information. | 2 years | 1st November 2026 |
| Category 1 water abstraction and discharge schemes (< 20,000 m3/year). Installation of equipment and submission of information. | 3 years | 1st November 2027 |
| First Official Technical Certification (Second and Third Categories) | 3 years | 1st November 2027 |
| First Official Technical Certification (Category 1 for at-risk populations) | 4 years | 1st November 2028 |
| Irrigation Return Systems | Two years since the publication of the specific programme on diffuse nitrate pollution | Variable by catchment area |
Control of water abstraction for water use
The control system for water abstraction requires the installation of approved meters on pressurised pipes and electronic flow meters in open channels, with local recording frequencies on a daily or hourly basis and data transmission ranging from annual reports to real-time telemetry.
The order divides water abstractions from the public water domain into two groups:
- Water abstraction via pressurised pipes. In these pressurised pipelines, the meters must be subject to state metrological control.
- Water abstraction involving free-surface flow. In these open free-surface channels, a stable concrete lining is required for a section to prevent geometric alterations in the control section, and physical security and sealing systems must also be incorporated to prevent fraud or tampering with the data input and erasure devices.
Furthermore, the regulations require facilities to be classified into three volume categories in order to tailor reporting and storage requirements.
Category 1 (< 20,000 m3/year): daily local recording. Annual data submission during the first quarter of the calendar year via ENI/ENS-compatible files. Requires a water level gauge if it is an open channel.
Category Two (20,000 to 500,000 m3/year): daily local recording. Quarterly data submission (during the month following the end of each calendar quarter). Requires a physical water level gauge.
Category Three ( ≥500,000 m3/year): continuous hourly local recording. Automated real-time transmission at least hourly to the river basin authority’s IT systems.
| Volumetric control system | Monitoring and recording frequency | ||
| Pressure-fed water supply systems | Counter + Recording system + Storage + Electronic transmission | Cat. 1 & 2 | Daily |
| Cat. 3 | Hourly | ||
| Open-surface catchments | One or more flow meters + Recording system + Storage + Electronic transmission* *(Determination of flow curve) |
Cat. 1 & 2 | Daily |
| Cat. 3 | Continuous | ||
Monitoring and tracking of irrigation return flows
The monitoring of irrigation return flows requires licence holders to implement a Monitoring Plan that combines the measurement of the flow returned to the watercourse with monthly sampling for the chemical analysis of nutrients and plant protection products.
Unlike pure water abstraction, agricultural water returns require combined monitoring (quantitative and qualitative) aimed at controlling the impact of diffuse pollution.
River basin authorities determine critical discharge points and conduct inventories, enabling irrigation communities to develop unified plans and authorising the use of existing open-channel sections without the requirement to line them with concrete, provided that a stable mathematical discharge curve and a manhole suitable for public inspections are guaranteed.
The operational framework of the Return Water Monitoring Plan requires:
- Flow measurement: direct gauging, periodic measurements or continuous fixed monitoring using level sensors.
- Mandatory qualitative analysis: spot sampling at least once a month throughout the irrigation season.
- Chemical parameters to be measured: nitrate concentration, phosphate concentration and the presence of pesticides/plant protection products.
- Official report: submission of a consolidated report of validated data during the first quarter of each calendar year.
The discharge control system regulates the measurement of effluent flow based on three specific categories, requiring Category Three facilities to report volumes and three fixed qualitative parameters in real time: pH, conductivity and turbidity.
Technical discharge obligations are divided into urban and industrial categories and are structured according to the following regulatory thresholds:
Category 1 (Urban: 2,000 to 10,000 population equivalents (p.e.) / Industrial < 20,000 m3): Recording of average daily flow rates. Submission of information on an Annual basis.
Category 2 (10,000 to 500,000 p.e. / Industrial from 20,000 to 500,000 m3): Automated local storage of average hourly flow rates. Submission of information on a Quarterly basis.
Category 3 (Large conurbations / Industrial > 500,000 m³ or hazardous substances): Continuous hourly recording. Submission of data in Real Time (hourly frequency) which must include the flow rate and the three continuous online analytical parameters (pH, electrical conductivity and turbidity), validated as 24-hour moving averages.
Sewage Overflows (Rainfall Events): Mandatory recording of the number of overflow events, the exact duration of the overflow and the mathematical estimate of the total volume of mixed water discharged into the watercourse.
| Category 1 | Category 2 | Category 3 | |
| Urban Waste | 2.000 to 10.000 population equivalents | 10,000 to 50,000 p.e. without a sewerage system management plan | Urban areas with a management plan for sanitation and high-impact discharges. |
| Industrial Discharge | Authorised annual discharge | Authorised annual discharge: 20.000 – 500.000 m3 | Authorised annual discharge: >500.000 m3 |
| Control system | Average daily flow rates
In-situ measurement + recording + data transmission |
Average hourly flow rates
In-situ measurement + recording + data transmission |
Real-time information
In-situ measurement + logging + data transmission at least hourly + water quality parameters such as pH, turbidity and electrical conductivity |
| Report Frecuency | ANNUAL
Actual daily volume discharged + annual total for the previous year |
QUARTERLY
Actual daily volume of waste disposed of + quarterly calculation for the previous quarter |
REAL TIME
Actual volume discharged at least hourly + standardised data exchange files |
| Review of accredited entities | Every 4 years | Every 3 years | Every 2 years |
The inclusion of automated real-time physico-chemical monitoring and strict control of sewer overflows aims to put an end to the massive discharges of untreated wastewater that occur unnoticed within sewer networks during heavy storms, providing high-resolution data for assessing the ecological status of receiving rivers.
ECAH certifications and technical inspections
ECAH certifications are mandatory technical audits carried out by bodies accredited under the UNE EN ISO/IEC 17020 standard, which periodically validate the metrological compliance, integrity and correct transmission of data from wastewater monitoring systems.
Facility operators are required to engage a Water Authority Partner Organisation (ECAH) duly approved and accredited by ENAC to carry out an on-site verification of the equipment, security seals, flow curves and the quality of the data transmission chain, issuing a certificate of compliance which must be formally submitted to the river basin authority within the time limits set by law.
The mandatory intervals for submitting facilities for technical inspection by an ECAH are:
- Category 3 facilities (water abstraction and discharge): Every 2 years.
- Category 2 facilities (water abstraction and discharge): Every 3 years.
- Sewerage system overflow points (overflow outlets): Every 3 years.
- Category 1 facilities (exclusively irrigation systems on water bodies declared at risk): Every 4 years.
Conclusion
Order TED/1191/2024 should not be viewed as a mere bureaucratic formality or an additional administrative burden for water users, but rather as the backbone of the transition towards smart, transparent and resilient water management in Spain.
The regulation marks the definitive end of the analogue era in the management of public water resources, by automating the collection of qualitative and quantitative data and mandating its electronic transmission.
For water abstraction and discharge licence holders, the immediate challenge lies in technological adaptation within the stipulated transition periods, where successful legal compliance will depend on viewing measurement equipment not in isolation, but as an integrated ecosystem.
Having strategic technological partners —such as ENVIRA— who cover everything from the initial assessment and approved sensor installation to data validation under ENI/ENS standards and support for ECAH audits, will be the key factor in mitigating the risk of penalties, ensuring the legal certainty of concessions and guaranteeing the sustainability of the most critical resource of our century.
