The reduction in water consumption by municipal services was possible thanks to important changes to improve efficiency in water usage. For instance, the use of alternatives such as groundwater was stepped up. In 2024, groundwater accounted for 51.75% of all water consumption by urban services in maintaining public space.

Measures to cut water consumption in the city have been ramped up in recent years, including the enlargement of the groundwater network, the improvement of watering systems and extra capacity in the sustainable drainage of green spaces. All these actions are set out in the Pla Clima.

Besides municipal consumption, this period has also seen a drop in domestic, industrial and commercial water consumption. The average daily water consumption per inhabitant in the city was 164 litres in 2024, well below the threshold of 250 litres set out by the current stage of the drought alert protocol. Domestic consumption stands at 96.7 litres of water per inhabitant per day.

Barcelona joined in with World Water Day on 22 March, organising activities based around water uses and lighting up the façade of the City Hall in blue.