Aqualia has held an institutional event to commemorate the 25th anniversary of its brand, created in 2001 as a unifying image for the FCC Group's water activities. The event brought together numerous company executives and professionals, alongside special guests: Esther Alcocer Koplowitz, Chairwoman of the FCC Group; Pablo Colio, CEO of the FCC Group; and Jaime Siles, Executive Director of the Australian fund IFM and Aqualia Board Member. During the event, participants recognised the strategic role the brand has played throughout this quarter-century.

The ceremony served to highlight that the Aqualia brand goes beyond a visual identity; it represents a culture that has underpinned the company's growth, leading it to become one of the most prominent international water service operators over the last 25 years. In its first full financial year (2002), Aqualia recorded revenues of €379 million. By the close of 2025, it reached €1,790 million, representing growth of over 370% in two and a half decades.

The company's territorial footprint has also evolved significantly: from serving 700 municipalities in Spain in 2002, Aqualia now manages services for 2,347 local authorities across 19 countries: Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Colombia, Chile, Egypt, UAE, Spain, the United States, France, Georgia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Oman, Peru, Portugal, Qatar, the Czech Republic, and Romania.

Behind this significant expansion is a workforce of 14,400 professionals who share the purpose of ensuring efficient, sustainable water management that remains close to the communities they serve.
During her speech, Esther Alcocer Koplowitz highlighted Aqualia’s journey as the result of knowledge accumulated over generations, its capacity to grow without losing its commitment to service, and the central role of its professionals as the company's engine. Meanwhile, Pablo Colio reviewed the origins of the water business within the group and stressed that corporate culture and the talent of its teams have been the key factors in consolidating a successful international presence. Additionally, Jaime Siles expressed IFM's pride in accompanying the company since 2018 and reaffirmed their commitment to being a stable partner.

A history with a bright future

One of the highlights of the 25th-anniversary celebration was the conversation between Santiago Lafuente, current CEO of Aqualia, and Félix Parra, the company's former CEO, who held the position between 2013 and 2024.

Both emphasised how the brand's original values have remained steadfast over the years: being at the forefront, specialisation, transparency, and a commitment to public service—the same values that will guide Aqualia’s steps in facing future strategic challenges with guaranteed success. Lafuente and Parra acknowledged that brand strength has been a key factor in allowing the company to project itself into international markets.

The event programme also included the screening of commemorative videos tracing the brand's history since its foundation: the integration of previous names under a single corporate identity, internationalisation processes, advances in digitisation and operational efficiency, and a growing commitment to sustainability as a core pillar of the business.

A round table titled ‘A History with a Bright Future’ featured six representatives from different areas of the company: Isidoro Marbán, CFO; Carmen Rodríguez, People and Culture Director; Óscar Peláez, Country Manager for Algeria; Berta Mercadé, Head of the South Catalonia management unit; Abel Haut, Service Manager in Mérida; and Angélica María Arbeláez, Country Manager for Colombia. Their testimonies addressed the role the brand has played in Aqualia's internal cohesion and in its relationships with municipalities, administrations, regulators, and partners worldwide.

The event concluded with remarks from Santiago Lafuente, CEO of the company, who expressed his satisfaction at gathering the entire team on such a significant day: “The creation of Aqualia was a major shift. We moved from being a company that secured contracts to an end-to-end management company. We work for the citizen, and I believe we must continue to maintain that spirit of innovation and the will to grow. We should be proud of the figures we have achieved, but we cannot stop: we must keep moving forward."

Aqualia was founded in 2001 with the mission of articulating a new modern utility culture for the water business within the FCC Group, providing more identity and visibility to an activity that, until then, had operated under various regional and local names. From that moment on, it acted as a unifying brand. 25 years later, that purpose has been fulfilled and amplified through every service the company provides in the territories where it operates.