an island plan waterproofs the three great rafts of the north of Tenerife for 3.3 million euros in works executed or under development. These are the infrastructures of Llanos de Mesa, in San Juan de la Rambla (552,263 euros); Benijos ravine, in La Orotava (1,135,450) and Montaña Taco, in Buenavista del Norte (1,782,132 euros). Throughout last year the investment to bring quality irrigation water to the island field was 6,589,211 euros. This figure is integrated into the item of 8,320,464 with which Balsas de Tenerife (Balten), a company of the Cabildo, has carried out 32 actions over the last three years aimed at guaranteeing supply to farmers.
Llanos de Mesa has a capacity of 175,961 cubic meters and supplies 420 producers. Refering to Benijos ravine raft It feeds 560 people in the area and its filling is equivalent to 206,373 cubic meters. The one in Montaña Taco, the largest in Tenerife, stores 821,739 cubic meters and is essential throughout the Isla Baja.
«The primary sector is a strategic sector and that is why we allocate powerful investments»
The president of the councilPedro Martín, values the investment for the re-waterproofing of these large ponds, as well as the 1.4 million to repair the transport pipeline between Santa Cruz‐and Arona. Martín explains: “Since 2019 we have carried out 32 actions to bring quality water to the primary sector of Tenerife to whose maintenance we allocate significant investments because for us it is strategic.” Martín adds that “it is important not only to support production, help feed animals or boost fishing activity, but also to guarantee farmers quality water, in quantity at affordable prices.”
investment effort
The insular Councilor for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of the Cabildo de Tenerife, Javier Parrilla, for his part, highlights “the investment effort of the current government, which represents 283 percent more than that made by the previous one when barely three million were executed ». Parrilla assesses: «We have been able to carry out actions with our own means, improving transportation or bringing new pipelines to points in need».
It mentions the pumping of reclaimed water from the board, in Santa Cruz, to the Valle Molina raft, in Tegueste; that of reclaimed water from the Pedro Ayerra WWTP (Valle de Guerra) to the same pond; the support pumping installation for the supply of water from Cruz Santa to the Benijos pond or the commissioning of the Tamaimo channel to provide water in Lomo del Balo.
key driving
The counselor highlights the repair of the Santa Cruz-Arona transport pipeline, “fundamental infrastructure to guarantee supply to the south of the Island.” He recalls that, in 2023, the Cabildo will allocate 1,146,000 euros to guarantee the free change of meters, in order to promote savings and remote reading.
In 2019, the Island Corporation invested 157,000 euros, mainly for the emergency tear repairdue to lack of maintenance, of the reclaimed water transport pipeline in Los Moriscos, in August 2019.
In 2020, with a budget of 151,247 euros, the actions focused on adapt the connections to improve the supply and quality of irrigation water. In this way, the conduction of the Niagara gallery was united with the Tágara-Trevejos conduction, in Guía de Isora; The Vilaflor irrigation network was improved and adapted (which has allowed the distribution of more than 150,000 cubic meters since then), and work was carried out to connect the EDAM of La Monja with the El Ravelo reservoir.
In 2021, the executed contribution reached 355,430 euros. Of particular note are the works to replace two sections of the irrigation water distribution network on Calle Los Placeres and La Romera, in Los Realejos (71,694 euros) or the supply of hydrometers for the exploitation of Valle San Lorenzo, in Arona (273,713 euros).
The plan to implement renewable energy in the Balten facilities The installation of photovoltaic panels in El Tablero, Valle de San Lorenzo and Isla Baja has already begun and financed.
