SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 14th March (EUROPA PRESS) –
The governing body of Tenerife and the Güímar Local Authority are dedicating 7.2 million Euros to construct the Los Tarajales Wastewater Pumping Station, which will cater to Puertito de Güímar. This project is scheduled to be completed within 16 months and will facilitate the treatment of wastewater in Puertito and increase the availability of water for agricultural purposes.
During a visit to the Seawater Desalination Station in the Güímar Industrial Estate, attended by the President of the governing body, Rosa Dávila; the Mayor of Güímar, Gustavo Pérez, and the administrator of the Tenerife Island Water Authority, Javier Davara, discussions were held regarding the project.
Rosa Dávila highlighted Güímar’s historical water and coastal discharge issues and announced the agreement to address these challenges. “With an investment exceeding seven million euros, we aim to halt the discharges in Puertito de Güímar and significantly increase the supply of treated water for agricultural activities,” she explained.
The Mayor of Güímar expressed that the agreement marks the resolution of a long-standing problem in the municipality. “Essentially, we are putting an end to the pollution of our seas and transforming it into clean water for our town. This initiative will enable us to provide clean water for our fields and farmers, with thousands of cubic meters available for them. Furthermore, through the desalination plant, we can ensure water supply to our residents. This dual approach not only guarantees water for agriculture but also for human consumption. These are two positive developments that will be etched in history within a few months,” he elaborated.
Furthermore, Rosa Dávila mentioned the portable desalination plants in the Güímar Industrial Estate with a capacity of 1,000 cubic meters, intending to expand it to 3,000 cubic meters to enhance water provision. “This expansion will also alleviate the water burden on the Industrial Estate, currently dependent on well water, consequently leaving more water available for agriculture. This initiative forms part of a water emergency declaration, encompassing 34 projects across the island to supply water primarily to the agricultural sector and ensure water access for the populace,” she added.
Meanwhile, Javier Davara detailed that the project is integral to the Tenerife Hydrological Plan, encompassing the rerouting of currently discharged water into the sea to a regional treatment facility – specifically the one in Valle de Güímar – for purification, regeneration, and subsequent distribution to farmers.
The financial commitment entails 5.4 million Euros from the Tenerife Water Authority – an entity under the Island’s Administration – supplemented by 1.4 million Euros from the governing body’s funds and a contribution of 366,750 Euros from the southern local authority. The plan delineates the necessary works for constructing the EBAR at the current Los Tarajales WWTP location, adjacent to the Puertito de Güímar Nautical Club, as well as the conduit required to transport sewage flows to the regional WWTP in Valle de Güímar.
The primary aim is for the Los Tarajales EBAR to service Puertito de Güímar and potentially other adjacent villages (La Caleta, Punta Prieta, Chimaje, and El Tablado). Additionally, the scheme includes a pipeline alongside the sewage outlet to convey desalinated water from the industrial estate to the El Puertito reservoirs.
The project, estimated to span 16 months, is structured into various stages. Firstly, the Los Tarajales Wastewater Pumping Station will be established, comprising a new 206.5 m2 structure housing a pretreatment section with a calming chamber, roughing channel, sieving equipment, and a pumping zone. The facility will also feature deodorization measures and electrical panel rooms, concluding with a generator set room. The ETBAR will solely process wastewater from Güímar municipality, indicating its local significance; nonetheless, integration with the regional system (pipelines and treatment plants) will be essential for functional purposes.
The pipeline’s core purpose is to transfer wastewater from Puertito de Güímar to the regional WWTP. Spanning a length of 6,832 meters, the pipeline runs parallel to the TF-1 highway downstream until reaching the Los Guirres ravine bed, where it will cross the TF-1 highway. The path leads along the TF-61 highway’s southern side until crossing it, onward along Samarines road until point 2+740 for another TF-1 crossing, continuing beside Samarines road towards the Güímar Valley Industrial Estate.
Subsequently, the route maintains alignment near the Risco de Tierra ravine to subside crossing the TF-1 highway again at km 6+220. Continuing towards the Güímar Valley WWTP, skirting the east of the industrial estate’s primary tank. As the infrastructure evolves, the pipeline’s regional purpose will extend to convey water from other municipalities in the Valle de Güímar region to the integrated regional purification and distribution system managed by the Tenerife Island Water Authority.
In addition to the aforementioned initiatives, a transportation pipeline for desalinated water within the same reservoir is considered a strategic objective to serve Güímar’s locality from the forthcoming Comarcal desalination plant in the Güímar Valley. This secondary pipeline will span 4,398 meters and, analogous to the previous initiative, will have regional implications to supply neighbouring municipalities within the Valle de Güímar region.
The overarching goal of the project is threefold: eliminate sea discharges in Puertito de Güímar, channel roughly 1000m3/day for agricultural irrigation, and secure water provision for Puertito de Güímar through connectivity with the Industrial Estate’s desalination plants.
