Canal de Isabel II facts for kids

Canal de Isabel II (CYII) is the company that manages the water supply for Madrid, Spain. It is owned by the Community of Madrid. This company makes sure that millions of people in Madrid have clean water for drinking and daily use.

How the Canal Started

The "Y" in the company's short name, CYII, comes from an old way of spelling "Isabel" – "Ysabel." The company is named after Queen Isabella II of Spain. During her time, a modern system was built to bring water to Madrid. This system included a canal that carried water from the Lozoya river. The water flowed into the city's northern areas using gravity, meaning it went downhill naturally.

Building the canal around 1856, photographed by Charles Clifford.

Managing Water for Madrid

The Community of Madrid has about 6.5 million people. To manage water for everyone, Canal de Isabel II uses many different facilities. These include 14 dams and 75 places where they collect water from underground.

They also have 13 plants that clean drinking water. There are many reservoirs to store water, big and small. The company uses over 17,000 kilometers of pipes to bring water to homes. They also have pumping stations to move water around.

For wastewater, there are over 11,000 kilometers of sewage pipes. They use 63 storm tanks to manage rainwater. There are also 156 plants that treat wastewater. This treated water can sometimes be reused.

The Canal's Reach in Latin America

In the 21st century, Canal de Isabel II started working in other countries. They expanded their operations to Latin America. For example, they bought a water company in Brazil called Emissão.

See also

In Spanish: Canal de Isabel II para niños

• Santillana reservoir