Pilot project with Barcelona

The Barcelona City Council collaborates with MICA ECO to reduce domestic water demand during a period of drought.

The Challenge

Barcelona, like many cities around the world, faces increasing water scarcity. Climate change is reducing rainfall, droughts are becoming more frequent, and the population continues to grow. Domestic water use represents 70% of demand in Barcelona, yet the city lacked detailed data on how water is used and effective tools to promote responsible use at scale.

Traditional strategies, such as campaigns or restrictions, were costly, generic, and inefficient, leaving the city without precise tools to manage demand during drought situations.

Barcelona decided to collaborate with MICA ECO to explore whether high-resolution domestic water data, analyzed with artificial intelligence, could help reduce demand by empowering citizens and providing the city with detailed, actionable insights for more targeted action.

The Pilot

MICA ECO was selected as the winner of the challenge "La Ciutat Proactiva 2024: Mission Drought" to design and execute a pilot study.

Design and Development

MICA ECO designed and developed an artificial intelligence–based system tailored for Barcelona.

We worked with pilot users to train our algorithms, building a database with more than 10,000 water events that enables water consumption classification by activity (shower, toilet, washing machine, etc.) with 90% accuracy from a single household meter. Based on this data, we co-designed an application to deliver this information to users, helping them identify inefficiencies and reduce their consumption.

Deployment

We installed a single high-resolution meter in 25 households, capturing real-time domestic water consumption data.

Data Collection and Analysis

Using water flow data, our artificial intelligence models disaggregated water use by activity (shower, washing machine, dishwasher, etc.).

Residents received personalized and actionable insights through their app, helping them adopt more sustainable water consumption behaviors.

Recommendations for the City

We delivered a pilot study validating:

The impact of our application on domestic water consumption
The aggregated distribution of water use by activity, including high-consumption behaviors and the most common inefficiencies
Recommendations for targeted campaigns and policy interventions to prepare the city for future droughts

Results and Impact

Consumption Reduction

Up to 30% reduction in consumption among participating households, with an average reduction of 10%.

Empowered Citizens

Households gained awareness of their consumption and adopted more sustainable and lasting water-use habits.

Next Steps for Barcelona

A study on the distribution of water use by activity across the city, analyzing high-consumption behaviors and common inefficiencies, with recommendations for targeted campaigns and policy interventions to manage drought situations intelligently.

A New Model for Domestic Water Demand Management

The pilot project with Barcelona demonstrates the impact of artificial intelligence applied to domestic water consumption data analysis to provide real-time, personalized, and actionable insights, empowering both the city and its citizens to reduce water demand. Combining:

High-Resolution Data

Accurate, real-time water consumption data captured through a single meter per household

AI-Driven Activity Analysis

A model based on more than 10,000 water events for disaggregating consumption by activity (shower, toilet, washing machine, etc.), generating alerts and personalized recommendations

User-Centered Application

A user experience co-designed with citizens, providing actionable and real-time information to help reduce consumption

Municipalities can:

Empower citizens to adopt sustainable domestic behaviors
Implement targeted and effective campaigns during drought periods
Make informed policy decisions for intelligent domestic water management

The pilot with Barcelona presents a replicable model for cities seeking a data-driven, citizen-centered approach to intelligent urban water management during drought situations.

Launch a Pilot