The Governing Council of Tenerife Island approved the addendum to the agreement with Aguas de las Cuencas de España (Acuaes), of the Ministry for Ecological Transition. This agreement will lead to an increase in investment in the island’s water treatment and sanitation systems from 170 to 233.5 million Euros. This announcement was made by the president, Rosa Dávila, during a weekly press conference with the island’s vice president, Lope Afonso.
“We have been in negotiations with the State, through Acuaes, for a significant increase in state investment,” stated Dávila. She mentioned that this increase of 63 million Euros not only addresses the need to cope with rising costs but also aims to improve and expand purification and sanitation systems in various municipalities to comply with European standards.
The main objective is to enhance sanitation and purification in the territorial systems of Arona Este-San Miguel, Oeste, Acentejo, Granadilla de Abona, and the Valle de La Orotava. Dávila also mentioned that wastewater treatment plants in Oeste and Los Letrados await discharge authorization from the General Directorate of Ecological Transition for their start-up, along with pending electrical connections.
Progress is being made in the systems of the West, Granadilla, and La Orotava Valley, with completion reaching 90%. In Arona Este-San Miguel, work continues on the structures of the new Montaña Reverón WWTP and on the optimization of mechanical and electrical equipment. Furthermore, in the Acentejo regional system, drainage wells have been completed, and tests are underway for operational commencement.
“With the upcoming launch of treatment plants, scheduled between August and September, such as those in Guía de Isora and Los Letrados, discharges into the sea in Santiago del Teide and Playa San Juan will be eliminated, resolving the significant issue in El Médano,” mentioned Dávila.
The Governing Council also approved an aid package of 800,000 Euros to the beekeeping subsector to compensate for production losses as a result of the absence of flowering in areas affected by the major fire of 2023 and by the drought, as well as an additional 250,000 Euros to support the restoration and conservation of agricultural systems affected by the fire, Afonso announced.
In the Sports sector, the contract was awarded to Gomobe CGS for the installation of new folding seats at the Heliodoro Rodríguez López stadium for 2.8 million Euros. Additionally, a sum of 396,000 Euros was approved for the public company Ideco for the commissioning of the Tenerife Aquatic Sports Centre in Puerto de la Cruz.
Unemployment
The island president emphasized that data from the Active Population Survey for the second quarter of 2024 shows that the unemployment rate in Tenerife is at 13.7%, the lowest in the last 20 years. She affirmed that the Island is the driving force behind employment in the Canary Islands.
