The Cabildo of Tenerife is set to install five portable purification plants in the areas of Fonsalía (Guía de Isora), Mesa del Mar (Tacoronte), Valle de Güímar, Valle de La Orotava, and Granadilla to address the water crisis affecting the primary sector. The priority is to urgently supply water to the midlands and high areas to support a sector that provides 10,000 direct jobs and is crucial both for subsistence and as a key element in the landscape. The situation is dire, and measures need to be taken before a summer with potential risks to human consumption. An enlightening fact is that over the last decade, the cultivated area in Tenerife has decreased by more than 7,000 hectares.
This was announced to journalists by the island’s president, Rosa Dávila, before the General Assembly of the Tenerife Water Council, where the approved declaration of a water emergency will be discussed.
The president has detailed that some of these desalination plants will arrive on the island in April and emphasized that the emergency declaration allows for accelerated installation to start providing service as soon as possible.
A “brave and difficult” decision
She has praised the “brave and difficult” decision of the Cabildo facing a “critical” summer for the agricultural sector, on which around 10,000 direct jobs on the island depend, and whose crops need to be “saved.”
In this regard, she mentioned that this Wednesday’s Cabinet will approve a budget allocation of 20 million euros to address these investments, which also include a desalination plant to transport treated water to highlands and midlands areas.
“We cannot turn a blind eye, especially after almost a decade where over 7,000 hectares of crops for agriculture in the island of Tenerife have been lost,” she stated.
Rosa Dávila, president of the Cabildo of Tenerife / ED
Once the Emergency Water Decree is validated by the Assembly, a five-day period will be opened for allegations. Once this period ends, it will come into effect, allowing, among other things, the immediate installation of desalination plants – which do not require environmental requirements.
Dávila has commented that at the moment the “priority” is “to provide water to the fields and ensure supply for human consumption in the summer.” While she appreciated the “responsible” stance of two municipalities on the island – Fasnia and Arico – to restrict water consumption, she does not believe it is necessary to extend this to the whole island.
She clarified, however, that these are not restrictions on human consumption but to avoid “washing or hosing down” with potable water, which seems “reasonable” based on the reserves of each municipality.
The president also warned that “tourism will have to do its part” to alleviate the situation on the island. She mentioned that discussions will be held with companies in the sector that, for example, have desalination plants and can provide water to the fields.
“We know that the agricultural sector will be a priority, and we are increasing the flow,” she noted regarding the contributions that can be made from tourism and industry.
