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If you live in or regularly visit Orihuela, the air you breathe and the noise around you are now being monitored more closely than ever. The Orihuela Ayuntamiento has launched a new smart environmental monitoring network, with three sensor nodes now operational across the town centre and the coastal area, all funded entirely by the European Union through its Next Generation EU programme.

 

The timing feels particularly apt. Just days ago, a report revealed that around 33 million people in Spain, roughly two in every three residents, were exposed to air pollution levels exceeding new EU limits in 2025, with air pollution described as the leading environmental cause of premature death in the country.

 

The three sensors are located at strategic points: two in the town centre at Glorieta Gabriel Miró and Avenida Teodomiro, and one at the coastal area, split between Plaza del Oriol next to the Ayuntamiento and Calle Jade. Fitted neatly into existing streetlights, they are energy-efficient and unobtrusive, while being remarkably capable.

 

Each device monitors up to 11 air quality parameters simultaneously in real time. These include the presence of gases such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and tropospheric ozone, particulate matter assessed using optical laser technology, and meteorological variables including temperature, humidity and atmospheric pressure. Wind speed and direction are also measured via an advanced ultrasonic anemometer. Alongside all of this, a Class 1 precision sound level meter tracks ambient noise levels throughout the day, evening and night.

 

All data is transmitted continuously via 4G to a software platform used by municipal staff, who can monitor conditions across the municipality at any time. The system's most valuable feature, though, is its built-in early warning capability: if any parameter exceeds the safety thresholds set by European regulations, automatic alerts are triggered immediately.

 

Councillor for Tourism Gonzalo Montoya summed up the thinking behind the project simply. "Adequate levels of air quality and ambient noise also contribute to making our municipality a more pleasant place for our visitors and residents," he said.

 

The initiative forms part of Orihuela's broader ambition to become a certified Smart Tourism Destination, using technology to make the municipality safer, more transparent and more welcoming for the thousands of people who live and holiday there each year.

 

 

Image: Ayuntamiento de Orihuela