FCC Chairman and CEO, Baldomero Falcones, presented Barcelona's Mayor, Xavier Trias, with a medal commemorating the 100th anniversary of the first sewer services contract awarded by the city to Fomento de Obras y Construcciones (now FCC), in 1911. The presentation took place during an event organized by the Mayor for FCC executives in the city government's Saló de Cent room.

That first contract, for sewer cleaning and maintenance in the Eixample district for a period of 10 years, was awarded to Fomento de Obras y Construcciones. Since then, Barcelona has renewed this contract with FCC, the Citizen Services group, on seven consecutive occasions, most recently in 2005, and it is still in force today.

Barcelona's sewer network currently spans 1,630 kilometres, i.e. the distance between the city and Berlin; a century ago it was less than 90 kilometres long. Close to 5,000 tonnes of sludge are removed from Barcelona's sewers each year.

Over the years, FCC has been hired by Barcelona to provide other services, including street cleaning and collection of municipal solid waste, maintenance of fountains, playgrounds and recreational areas, and cleaning of schools and nurseries. The group provides services at city landmarks such as the Port of Barcelona, the Port Vell marina, the World Trade Center Barcelona, and Mercabarna market.

Baldomero Falcones commented at the event: "The relationship between Barcelona and FCC, which is based on trust and constancy, is an example of how productive public-private partnerships can be. Our aim is to replicate this model in over 5,000 cities worldwide."

According to Xavier Trias: "Barcelona has always been a pioneer. The modernisation of the city's sewer network was an ambitious and innovative project at the time, and today the sewer network continues to drive innovation and is a model for other cities."

Citizen participation
The reception organised by the Mayor of Barcelona for FCC executives is part of a series of activities, open to the public, which aim to highlight the historical relationship between the two as a clear example of the value of public-private partnerships. The first was an exhibition entitled "FCC and Barcelona's sewer network, 1911-2011", which will be open to the public free of charge in Sala Ciutat until 8 January and offers a historical look at the last 100 years in Barcelona through the development of its sewer network.

This commemorative exhibition offers a closer look at a century's worth of history based on three main conceptual areas. The first, which focuses on the contract and its development over the course of the century, highlights the relationship between FCC and the city through successive contracts and their main characteristics, which also tell the story of the city's development and modernisation.

The second and third feature historical objects related to the sewer network viewed as municipal infrastructure, and as the workplace of technicians and operators, with their equipment. This includes the original cart from 1916, which was known popularly as the "la patentada", and the first stone laid in 1887 to build the sewer on Diagonal, one of Barcelona's most important avenues.

The 100th anniversary events will conclude with technical seminars and meetings on sewer networks and their importance in intelligent cities, and FCC's participation in the SmartCity Expo & World Congress, to be held in Barcelona from 29 November to 2 December.

Citizen services and Barcelona
FCC, founded in Barcelona in 1900, has become one of Spain's leading multinational companies in the area of citizen services. While the company's initial focus was construction, it started diversify in 1911 when it was awarded the contract to clean and maintain Eixample district sewer. FCC currently operates in more than 50 countries. Its annual revenues exceed 12 billion euro and it has 90,000 employees.

Barcelona changed more during the 20th century than in any other period of its thousand-year history. Private enterprise has played a notable role in building the modern city.
FCC has been a constant partner throughout the city's development, providing services from sewer maintenance to upkeep of parks and gardens, from as early as 1915. The company also participated in the development of the venue for the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition and of Plaza Espanya, and improved urban mobility by building the city's first underground car park on Passeig de Gràcia, the La Rovira tunnel, and the new T1 terminal at Barcelona's El Prat Airport.