Santa Cruz de Tenerife will undertake the drilling of eight new wells to enhance the production of desalinated water within the municipality. The Governing Board of the capital’s City Council, through the Public Services department and at the request of the Empresa Mixta de Aguas de Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Emmasa), a part of the Sacyr group, sanctioned the specifications and implementation of the water intake wells at the Sea Water Desalination Plant (EDAM) in the city yesterday.
The initiative has a timeframe of 24 months and a budget of 1.104 billion euros, with the drilling activities to be financed by Sacyr. “This project will enable us to further lessen our reliance on our own water resources, such as wells and tunnels, which depend on recorded rainfall,” stated Carlos Tarife, councillor for the area, yesterday.
Mayor José Manuel Bermúdez indicated that this project “is crucial for ensuring the future supply of desalinated water to all residents, particularly in light of climate change and the scarcity of water resources.”
He remarked that “these new surveys will facilitate the assessment of the feasibility of water desalination if they prove productive, and if so, they will address both the current demand and the future expansion of the EDAM, increasing the volume of desalinated water.”
Tarife underscored that “the expansion of the desalination plant is a pivotal project within the commitment of its area to enhance the efficiency of the entire water cycle and promote the circular economy by fostering the reuse of available natural resources, such as desalinated water.”
Currently, the city’s desalination facility, situated in the Cueva Bermeja region, has 14 seawater collection wells and aims to expand its operations to boost water production to 40,000 cubic metres per day, with a minimum daily extraction of 150 cubic metres per well.
Out of the new wells, five will be drilled within the EDAM site and the remaining three outside, across the Vía Litoral, opposite Cueva Bermeja, in the vicinity adjoining the breakwater, following the successful completion of prior surveys sanctioned by the Port Authority.
The desalination plant, which commenced operations in 2001, currently generates 28,800 cubic metres of water each day, accounting for 62% of the water consumed in the homes of the capital.
However, in light of the ongoing water emergency situation on the Island, the Santa Cruz City Council and Emmasa have initiated improvement works on this infrastructure, which is already nearing the ability to produce 31,000 cubic metres of water per day. The new initiative for the expansion and remodelling of the plant is expected to allow it to reach 48,000 cubic metres per day by the end of 2026.
