The Official College of Industrial Technical Engineers of Valladolid (IngenierosVA) has awarded Aquona the recognition of the Socially Responsible Company in the fourth edition of the Industry Awards

The effort carried out by Aquona to guarantee public water service during the pandemic and meet the social needs of the municipalities where it operates has been recognized by the Official College of Industrial Technical Engineers of Valladolid (VA engineers) with the IV Industry Awards in the category of 'Socially Responsible Company'.

Throughout its editions, these awards have become a benchmark where civil society recognizes the most advanced companies in innovation and social involvement. On this occasion, the VA Engineering Industry Awards resumed their activity after the stoppage caused last year by the pandemic, and they have done so with a special COVID Edition designed precisely to recognize those industries that have made relevant contributions to the fight against coronavirus.

“Many are the technological, innovation and industrial advances that companies from all over Spain have applied to the fight against COVID. At IngenieríaVA we want to reward the ingenuity and skills that the industry has shown during this pandemic to help the proper development of society as a whole ”, explained Rafael Álvarez, Dean of VA Engineers, during the awards ceremony.

Access to water and social assistance

The recognition of VA engineers for the work of Aquona affects one of the dimensions where the company stands out, which is its high degree of social and territorial commitment to the municipalities where it operates.

In this sense, Aquona has deserved the award in the category of Socially Responsible Industry, destined to distinguish the most outstanding company in social responsibility during the pandemic.

As Jesús García del Valle, director of Aquona explained, after receiving and thanking the award of the award, during the pandemic the assistance, inclusive and solidarity effort that the company carries out was increased even more if possible: “Since the beginning of this crisis Together with the municipalities, we have implemented measures to guarantee access to water for all people in vulnerable situations, managing social funds in coordination with municipal social services, which allows us to be aware of all situations of vulnerability so that in no case shall the water supply be cut off to those who cannot pay for it ”.

In this way, during 2020 new funds were signed with the town councils and with entities such as the Red Cross in Castilla y León that have allowed 100% of Aquona's clients to have at their disposal some bonus or social fund that allows them to face the payment of the service, explained Del Valle. In addition, it is worth highlighting the company's support for the Red Cross Respond Plan in order to help the people most affected by the social and economic crisis that the pandemic has generated. Only in Castilla y León 133,362 people have been assisted by this plan.

Aquona's director recalled that the company has a firm commitment to the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development of the United Nations and works aligned with the triple approach of caring for the environment, the prosperity of territories and people, as demanded by the UN SDG.

Therefore, affirms Jesús García del Valle, “we thus contribute to complying with SDG 1, which sets –among other goals– to guarantee that all people, particularly those who are in a situation of vulnerability, have the same rights of access to basic services". "We have been doing it for the more than 50 years that we have been operating in the region, which in turn have resulted in half a century of social commitment to the territory."

Verónica Casado, Minister of Health of the Junta de Castilla y León, attended the award ceremony of the IV Awards of the Engineering Industry VA, who considered that the award-winning companies are "exponents of industrial innovation, resilience and social responsibility" , and thanked the public service provided by them during the pandemic "helping a lot and working hand in hand with the public administration."

The award given to Aquona includes a financial prize of 1,500 euros, which the company will donate to the Red Cross, as announced by Jesús García del Valle during the award ceremony.

In this fourth edition, the jury of the Engineering Industry Awards VA has been made up of José Antonio Galdón, president of the General Council of Industrial Technical Engineering; Rosario Chávez, Councilor for Innovation, Economic Development, Employment and Commerce of the Valladolid City Council; Jorge Valentín, treasurer of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Valladolid; José Ramón Garmendia, general director of Information Systems, quality and pharmaceutical services of the Junta de Castilla y León and Rafael Álvarez, dean of engineers VA.