Design of a Training Water Network Plant for Vocational Education in the Urban Water Cycle: A Case Study in Spain

In the context of increasing water scarcity, the new paradigm in efficient water management relies on the digitalisation of water infrastructure to optimise resource use. One of the key factors in addressing the new challenges facing urban water cycle companies is the shortage of qualified technical staff. This context highlights the new training needs of technical personnel required by companies in the urban water cycle sector due to the increasing digitalisation of tools and the new technological requirements of jobs which are not yet sufficiently reflected in the existing training offer. Companies express their dissatisfaction with how poorly existing training programs meet their current needs. Vocational training has a fundamental role to play in providing high-quality, technically up-to-date training that is aligned with the needs of water management companies. This mission involves the adoption of innovative teaching strategies and methods and the development of innovative teaching resources. This paper presents the design of a bench-scale plant specifically designed as a teaching resource at a Spanish vocational training centre that offers intermediate-level training in water networks and treatment plants and advanced-level training in water management. The plant, occupying a footprint of 4 × 5 m, simulates a drinking water distribution network, from the intake to the distribution network via a pumping station with two pumps (1 + 1) of 0.75 kW each that provide a flow range of 4–12 m³/h with a range of 22–10 m water column and a regulating reservoir of 1 m³ located above the water network. The plant is equipped with sensors that allow operational data to be monitored: pressures, flow rates, consumption and levels, enabling multiple operational scenarios to be simulated: leaks, sectorisation, pressure and flow management, etc. Its design has focused on facilitating the acquisition by students of the skills and learning outcomes required in the curricula of the different professional modules that make up the aforementioned studies, through learning based on multidisciplinary collaborative projects.