Performance indicators to assess the implementation of automation in water user associations: A case study in southeast Spain

• Performance automation indicators in pressurized collective irrigation pipeline networks.
• Comparison of several irrigation networks in water user associations.
• Water and energy savings for several case studies.

Water and energy in the agricultural sector must be used efficiently to obtain sustainable agriculture, which also leads to economical savings. This also has a positive influence on the conservation of fossil resources and the reduction of contamination. Automation in irrigation systems permits the control of water and energy resources. Therefore, several parameters related to water and energy efficiency, both in the pump station and in the collective irrigation network, can be controlled. In this study, several performance indicators are proposed to assess the implementation of automation in water user associations. Both the indicators and the methodology used for data gathering are detailed in the study, and the results of a case study in southeast Spain are presented. The results demonstrate that automation is a low-cost investment (1.24–6.72% of the total costs) compared to the large benefits and advantages (2.05–8.21% energy saving and 0.71–6.46% water saving). Moreover, the amortization periods are very short and are less than 1.5 years in the majority of cases.