Water is a basic, essential resource to life and maintaining ecosystems. According to information available, the estimated demand for water in Spain in 2021 was 32,000 hm3/year, with the main use being irrigation and agricultural purposes, which accounted for approximately 80.5% of said demand, followed by supply at 15.5%. This was followed by industrial use.

This is a crucial time for the water industry. Spain in particular is among the European countries suffering the greatest hydric stress caused mainly by climate change. Indeed, in the coming years this resource is expected to fall by up to 25% throughout the country, and this percentage will increase to 40% in the south-east mainland by the end of the century.

In this context, it is clear the water cycle must be modernised with the aim of managing this resource more efficiently and more sustainably. With this in mind, and supported by its commitment to technological innovation and a desire to continually devise new products, Molecor has developed a new tool: the geoTOM^® application. Thanks to its support for R&D, this new development from Molecor can geolocate the products in pipe networks where its pipes and fittings, TOM^® and ecoFITTOM^® in molecularly oriented PVC, are installed.

This app facilitates the inclusion and visualisation of technical information on the part installed, therefore enabling full traceability for the part. This use of new information technologies to digitise water networks means the network's efficiency can be improved, losses of supply reduced, and a contribution made to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set out by the UN with a view to ensuring a more sustainable future for all.

Molecor, as a company, and its fittings and pipes, as products, are aligned with the SDGs. Given the nature of Molecor and the products it manufactures, number 6 is the main goal: “Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all”. Both TOM^® pipes and ecoFITTOM^® fittings in PVC-O are products with a long useful life that guarantee the quality of the water piped at all times. With these products, the company ensures water is a resource available to society.

geoTOM^® also helps towards this SDG by providing a highly efficient way to manage water supply networks, using the latest technology available on the market at all times. In addition, this application encourages innovation and helps to build resilient infrastructure, both of which are key aspects in the Molecor DNA and considered within SDG 6.

Moreover, Molecor is also actively working to achieve other goals, such as SDG 11, “Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable”, and SDG 13, “Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts”, among others.

As a company that is extremely committed to the environment and sustainability, Molecor carries out different initiatives, such as Operation Clean Sweep, and this latest development of the geoTOM^® application.

It is really easy to start using geoTOM^®. First, download the application, available for both Android and iOS. Then you will need to register. After doing so, you can create different projects, add new parts, include comments, add images, ask for assistance, report incidents, etc. To add new components to the network, the application is simple and intuitive; simply scan the QR code on either the TOM® pipe or ecoFITTOM® fitting to be installed and you will be able to immediately access all of the product's information: from its production, raw material, production centre, batch number, date and time of manufacture, among other characteristics, right up to its installation. In addition to products manufactured by Molecor, parts made by different manufacturers can be added from the library or components can even be added manually.

This digitalisation of water networks is key to improving this resource's efficiency and to tackling the hydric future of many countries. The growing number of climate variations caused by climate change make for increased uncertainty as to water's availability, which is why having tools and systems in place that offer us an exact understanding of how networks operate is essential to guaranteeing our hydric safety. In this regard, using new tools and systems, like geoTOM^®, allows us to have precise technical information in real time on supply networks, irrigation, reclaimed water, etc. This gives us greater control and improved management capacity for this resource.

To manage projects and water networks as efficiently as possible, geoTOM^® can add as many users as necessary within a project so they can work together on it and complete the geolocation details for full traceability of the network.

geoTOM^® is, in short, an intuitive, comprehensive, easy-to-use application that both companies and individuals can use to view full technical information in real time for their projects and water supply networks, thus helping to improve water resource management and assisting in the fight against climate change.

Molecor remains an industry leader thanks to its commitment to R&D with the creation of new products and innovative solutions at water's service. The company continues to evolve, adapting to industry requirements while remaining firmly committed to sustainability and the environment.