The agreement will involve organising different types of joint actions with the aim of publicising their respective activities

Aguas de Alicante this morning signed an agreement with the Restaurant Association of Alicante (ARA). The aim of the agreement is to provide mutual support through joint actions throughout the year publicising the activities of both organisations.

The signing, held at the Museo de Aguas de Alicante in the regional capital’s old town, was attended by Francisco Bartual, CEO of Aguas de Alicante, and Antonio Agustín Pérez Planelles, President of the ARA.

The agreement includes different jointly organised initiatives over the course of the year to mutually publicise their respective activities. Among other actions, these include visits by ARA associate companies to the Museo de Aguas de Alicante; organisation of joint actions on key dates in the environmental calendar, such as the upcoming World Water Day (22 March) and World Environment Day (5 June); organisation of a course on sustainability in the world of water and water tastings for ARA staff; and promotion by ARA associate restaurants of the recipe book Haciendo la boca agua [Making the mouth water], promoted by Aguas de Alicante.

As Francisco Bartual stated, ‘initiatives of this kind among an important group in the Alicante economy allow us to highlight the quality of water reaching consumers’ taps, thanks to efficient water resource management based on care for the environment and technological innovation’. According to Antonio Pérez, ‘joint actions with consolidated companies in Alicante society such as Aguas de Alicante provide a major boost to the visibility of recently created organisations such as ARA’. 'In our association, there is a clear and firm move towards eliminating single-use plastic, as it is obviously unsustainable. We have always encouraged use of domestic water supply in our dishes, such as Alicante rice dishes, in which tap water is essential, as its high mineral salt content from the limestone composition of the area enhances the flavour’.

The signing of the agreement was also attended by members of the ARA Executive Committee, who then took part in a water tasting. This sensory experience provided an opportunity for blind tasting of water from different sources (tap, well, desalination and mineral water), selected due to their mineralisation and treatment. Participants rated their organoleptic qualities, such as smell, flavour and colour, and defined their preferences and consumption habits. Water tastings are a fun activity organised by Aguas de Alicante to raise awareness of the quality of tap water and create a dialogue with the public.