SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 4th Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Tenerife Island Council has initiated improvements in four desalination plants to add 12,000 cubic metres of water daily. Specifically, approximately 6 million euros will be allocated by the island administration for urgent enhancements in the portable seawater desalination facilities located in the Güímar Valley, Granadilla, the Western region, and the Los Letrados Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The Minister responsible for the Natural Environment, Sustainability, Security, and Emergencies, Blanca Pérez, highlighted that through these improvements, “an additional 12,000 cubic metres of water flow per day will be made available, with 80% designated for agricultural use. These actions have been part of the water emergency proclamation and aim to ease the ongoing meteorological drought conditions on the Island.”
“The primary objective of these interventions is to swiftly integrate the maximum possible water volume into the system via industrial water production methods, including desalinated seawater or regenerated treated water, resulting in a daily increment of around 12,000 cubic metres,” stated the councillor.
Blanca Pérez elaborated that these initiatives “had already been outlined in the Hydrological Plan of Tenerife 2021-2027, but the water emergency decree has enabled us to accelerate the timelines and commence immediate implementation. We are facing a challenging situation and decisions need to be taken promptly to fulfil the water requirements of both the agricultural sector and the populace.”
The augmentation of production at the portable wastewater treatment plant in the Güímar Valley and the subsequent transfer to municipal reservoirs will necessitate an investment of approximately 2.4 million euros, while the provision of regenerated water to the Abona region from the Los Letrados wastewater treatment plant will cost nearly 1.8 million euros. Moreover, the expansion of the Abona wastewater treatment plant – involving membrane replacements – is estimated at 689,000 euros, whereas the expansion of the Western wastewater treatment plant will require a budget of 1.1 million euros.
