Murcia launches Spain's first-ever water emergency response centre

The new facility will help protect water supplies during floods, droughts, power cuts and other emergencies

Murcia is now home to Spain's first dedicated water emergency response centre, a new facility that will help keep water supplies running during floods, droughts, power cuts and other major incidents.

The new Operational Resilience Centre (CRO), operated by Veolia, has opened in the Cabezo Cortao industrial estate and will serve as a centre for emergency equipment, specialist teams and technology that can be deployed quickly when water supplies or essential infrastructure are threatened.

While the company hopes to replicate the model elsewhere in Spain in the future, Murcia was chosen as the first location due to its experience dealing with extreme weather and other emergencies. The Region has faced floods, droughts, heatwaves, wildfires, earthquakes and water contamination incidents in recent years, highlighting the need for faster response times when problems arise.

The facility covers almost 4,000 square metres and houses 383 pieces of equipment ready for deployment at short notice. These include generators, water tankers, dewatering pumps, portable desalination and water treatment plants, mobile storage tanks and specialist cleaning vehicles.

According to Veolia, the centre acts as an emergency unit for water services. The company provides water-related services to around one million people across the Region of Murcia, either directly or through partnerships with local authorities. Although the centre will provide direct support to 13 municipalities, its resources can be sent anywhere in the Region and, if required, to other parts of Spain.

Although officially inaugurated this week, the centre has actually been operating since October 2025. During that time, it has responded to 54 emergencies, ranging from major incidents to smaller problems that are often resolved before residents are even aware there was an issue.

The project was formed by lessons learned from recent extreme weather events. One example was the severe storms that affected the Campo de Cartagena in October 2025, damaging part of the water supply network and leaving around 100,000 people without running water. Similar incidents have shown the importance of having equipment and specialist teams ready to respond quickly.

The centre operates around the clock and is linked to digital monitoring systems that keep a constant watch on water and wastewater networks. These systems help identify potential problems early, allowing action to be taken before they develop into larger disruptions. Its operations are coordinated through Veolia's Hubgrade control centre in Cartagena, which monitors resources and equipment in real time.

Some of the centre's resources are already being used outside the Region of Murcia. Equipment has recently been deployed to parts of Catalonia, Cádiz, Seville, Adra and Teulada, supporting water treatment, desalination and energy generation projects. Other machinery is currently being used in repair work on Murcia's main sewer collector.

A fleet of around 20 specialist cleaning vehicles is available to help clear mud and debris following flooding events, helping to prevent sewer systems from becoming blocked.

Speaking at the opening, Murcia Mayor Rebeca Pérez said the centre would help protect communities from the growing impact of extreme weather events while safeguarding essential services. 

Several local mayors attended the launch, including representatives from Torre Pacheco, who recalled how some areas of the municipality waited up to 17 days for running water to be restored following flooding in 2024.

As many residents across the region have experienced in recent years, it is often only when water stops flowing from the tap that the importance of this infrastructure becomes clear. The new centre will make sure that when the next crisis arrives, help is already ready to go.

Image: Murcia City Hall
Image: Mayor Rebeca Pérez