The Cumial drinking water treatment plant (DWTP) in Ourense houses an organic vegetable garden in its facilities, providing produce for people in need.

The idea came from among the workers at the Viaqua plant themselves, as conditions at the plant, its size, availability of water and the climate are all favourable for growing vegetables.

Three of the plant’s workers combine their jobs with tending the vegetable garden and picking crops. They grow aubergines, peppers, courgettes, tomatoes and pumpkins, among other crops, using sustainable methods as far as possible and avoiding the use of pesticides and chemical products. The produce is given to the Cáritas food kitchen. The first harvest produced 100 kg of vegetables which, thanks to the great work of the charity organisation, provided food for people in need in neighbouring towns.

The next steps will be to establish an irrigation system that optimises resources, plant fruit trees in the area and install greenhouses to grow produce all year round.