The water crisis, following nearly a decade of drought, and the prediction of an unusually hot summer, call for extraordinary actions, such as strengthening the focus on desalination and purification.
In response to the alert raised by agricultural organisations in early June, highlighting significant water losses in Tenerife due to pipe leakages – Asaga revealed that some municipalities are losing up to 60% of water flow – the Cabildo has ramped up efforts to cater to the water needs of the island, particularly in rural areas, in the short and medium run. This includes initiating projects at four facilities in the South to add 12,000 extra cubic metres of water daily, with 80% designated for agricultural use.
The goal is to produce water on an industrial scale, either from desalinated seawater or purified recycled water. Emergency projects, estimated at six million Euros, will be undertaken to enhance the water production capacity of desalination plants in Granadilla, Oeste, the portable plant in the Güímar Valley, and the wastewater treatment facility in Los Letrados (Granadilla). The water crisis declared on the Island by the Cabildo on May 29 permits these actions – outlined in the Hydrological Plan of Tenerife 2021-2027 – to be expedited, enabling immediate implementation of the projects.
Moreover, plans are underway for constructing a drinking water reservoir in Las Zocas (San Miguel) within 12 months to secure the water supply for La Aldea, Llano del Camello, Las Chafiras, Guargacho, Amarilla Golf, and Golf del Sur. The 5,000 cubic metre reservoir will be supplied with high-quality desalinated water, reducing the dependence on groundwater.
Meanwhile, progress is being made on the Montaña Reverón regional treatment plant in Valle San Lorenzo (Arona), alongside the development of a network of collectors, pumping stations, and a land-based discharge project led by the public corporation Acuaes. By 2025, upon completion of these initiatives, 24,275 cubic metres of water per day will be allocated to the agricultural sector for irrigation, equivalent to 10 Olympic swimming pools.
Officials from the Cabildo and the Arona Town Council convened to coordinate these efforts. Emphasising the national significance of these projects, Blanca Pérez, the island councillor for the Natural Environment, highlighted their role in “processing urban wastewater and recycling treated water for agricultural irrigation”, as well as the pipeline network for water from the treatment plant with zero discharge.
Mayor of Arona, Fátima Lemes, emphasised the importance of keeping up with sanitation and channel works, which should have been addressed earlier. First Deputy Mayor and Councillor for the Environment, Clari Pérez, announced the establishment of a monitoring committee to oversee project progress.
