Is there greater awareness among the
community on the management of water
as a limited resource?
I think that the citizen is becoming incre-
asingly aware of the need to use water
responsibly. Climate change poses a real
threat to certain regions in the planet that
can suffer from drought and be subject to
restrictions. This forces us to also be much
more responsible in managing this resour-
ce. We should, however, make a distinction
among the various situations such as those
in more developed countries and in develo-
ping countries.
Firstly, because the need for investment is
greater in the latter than in the former.
The UN, moreover, has declared that ac-
cess to water is a human right. All of us
agree. The problem is being able to un-
derstand that the problems in relation to
this right differs and are not the same in all
territories. In many cases, it increases con-
fusion between the right to having access
to water and the need for infrastructures
and the services necessary to ensure the
exercise of this right, our main function and
one which is a source of pride for us.
How is FCC Aqualia facing up to the cu-
rrent economic scenario?
With confidence, certainly. We have great
potential. The water sector is a solid one
and our group gives us all of its support
since the water management business has
become one of FCC’s strategic lines.
Although this sector is not subject to
cycles, the crisis also affects us. Consump-
tion, especially in the industrial sector, has
been declining over the past few years. City
Councils are much more reluctant when it
comes to revising their tariffs and, generally,
the terms and conditions of our contracts,
and this given rise to difficult situations in
some cases.
Furthermore, it is not that easy to obtain fun-
ding for participating in tender processes.
In this context, we have implemented all
types of measures, adjusting costs, innova-
ting, offering imaginative solutions, impro-
ving efficiency and all of this, plus our great
accumulated experience and our manage-
ment capabilities have enabled us to conti-
nue to grow and improve our margins in an
adverse scenario. Thanks to all of this, I am
able to face the future of the company that I
lead with confidence and optimism.
What makes FCC Aqualia different from
its competitors?
We are the only Spanish operator that offers
comprehensive services and/or activities in
the end-to-end water management cycle.
We design and build all types of installations,
urban or industrial, manage services under
concessions and provide added value servi-
ces to other public concession-holders.
In addition, our presence is widespread and
this enables us to provide a service charac-
terised by its closeness. I always tell my co-
llaborators that we don’t secure contracts
because we are big but rather that we are
big because many small entities have pla-
ced their trust in us.
u s i n e s s
