Canal de Isabel II allocated €237,000 to the protecting its employees from COVID-19

The water supply and sanitation service was declared an essential service during the state of alarm

• The public company has acquired 5,000 rapid tests to detect the virus among its group employees in Spain

• It has also arranged for a supplier to be hired for the supply of masks, gloves and hydro-alcoholic gel

The Governing Council of the Autonomous Community of Madrid has been informed today of the processing, under the emergency procedure, of two contracts for a total amount of 237,100 euros, to provide Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) and healthcare material to the professionals of Canal de Isabel II and for the purchase of rapid COVID-19 antibody detection tests, with the aim of urgently tackling the healthcare crisis triggered by the spread of the coronavirus in Spain.

The objective of both contracts is to protect its over 3,000 employees, including not only the parent company but also the rest of Spanish subsidiaries. The public company provides supply and sanitation services in the region, both of which were considered essential services during the state of alarm.

The first contract responds to the need to provide the public company's workers with masks, gloves and hydro-alcoholic gel to ensure the operation of all the phases of the integrated water cycle water cycle in the Autonomous Community of Madrid, thus minimising the risk of infection by coronavirus.

€162,100 (excluding VAT) was contracted for the supply of hygiene and protection equipment. This includes, on the one hand, 30,000 disposable FFP2 masks for personnel who are particularly exposed to a possible infection: i.e. medical service staff, laboratory analysis technicians, purification and sanitation personnel and customer service staff.

The contract also includes the supply of 50,000 disposable surgical masks for all Canal workers; 4,000 boxes of disposable gloves for biosafety, which are essential in health care, laboratories, purification, sanitation, public service and surface cleaning; and 3,000 cans of hydro-alcoholic gel for dry hand washing for all personnel and third parties who may have access to Canal facilities and buildings.

RAPID TESTS TO DETECT CORONAVIRUS

On the other hand, Canal contracted the supply of up to 5,000 COVID-19 rapid tests for the rapid detection of IgG and IgM antibodies in blood for a total amount of 75,000 euros. To date, the company's medical service personnel have already carried out some 3,500 tests on workers at Canal and subsidiaries.

This began by testing the 1,000 essential workers who were providing services in the field. This figure was subsequently joined by the workers who returned their posts in person following the end of the state of alarm, during which they had provided 100% of their services via teleworking. The tests are currently being repeated for essential workers returning from holiday.

Canal de Isabel II was founded more than 165 years ago to supply water to the city of Madrid. Today, its more than 2,800 employees provide a service to over 6 million people in the region. It is an innovative, entirely public company, a leader in its sector, and internationally recognised for its management of the integrated water cycle.

It operates 13 reservoirs; 78 spring tappings; 14 drinking water treatment plants; 17,651 kilometres of conveyance and distribution channels; 131 pumping stations for drinking water and 133 for waste water; 15,317 kilometres of sewage networks; 65 storm tanks; 157 waste water treatment stations; and 651 kilometres of regenerated water channels.