The Cabildo, via the Tenerife Island Water Council (Ciatf), has endorsed a grant initiative amounting to approximately €10.3 million for local authorities and entities within the primary sector. This funding aims to strengthen and establish new infrastructure, enhance water collection, and ensure water supply for both communities and agricultural purposes.
Of this total, €8.35 million will be directed towards enhancing hydraulic infrastructure in the municipalities of El Sauzal, San Miguel, Vilaflor, Buenavista del Norte, and Arafo. These investments aim to support vital projects that ensure supply and improve water resources in regions most impacted by drought.
The president of the Cabildo, Rosa Dávila (CC), stated yesterday that the goal set by the Ciatf is to “ensure water supply in the regions most affected by drought and assist irrigator communities in optimising their collections.” She further noted that significant strides have been made since the declaration of the water emergency, “allowing us to plan, implement, and execute a total of 75 actions to guarantee water wherever it is required.”
The Minister for Natural Environment, Sustainability, Security, and Emergencies, Blanca Pérez, emphasised that “these types of subsidies enable us to address part of the existing needs in the regions of the Island that are most in need and that are most severely impacted by water shortages, be it for supply or agricultural purposes.”
As she explained, “this plan facilitates interventions on infrastructure that will enhance the network and the public system, as well as on private facilities that might not otherwise improve their efficiency in water collection, in order to reduce the effects of the prolonged drought affecting the Island.” Additionally, she mentioned that another set of projects, measures, and actions will be completed in the coming months.
Ten Projects
In the area of infrastructure rehabilitation and enhancement, a total of ten projects will be initiated. Notably, the construction of a desalination plant on the El Sauzal coast will be undertaken by the Teidagua mixed company. This facility, which entails an investment of over €3.8 million, is expected to produce 1,800 cubic meters of water daily and will integrate with the La Laguna-Tacoronte system, aiding in alleviating water scarcity in the northeastern area and the metropolitan region.
In San Miguel, €1.7 million will be invested in initiatives aimed at ensuring supply across various parts of the municipality, including the replacement of the Las Zocas drinking water tank. Meanwhile, Vilaflor will receive nearly €1 million to complete works on the El Salguero II drinking water supply tank, crucial for enhancing storage capacity in the locality.
Buenavista will also gain from an investment of €1.4 million to regularise the municipal wastewater treatment system and to improve the connections and essential components of the sanitation networks. In Arafo, €450,000 will be allocated for the purchase and installation of a filtration and disinfection system. Furthermore, the Cabildo has earmarked almost €1 million for irrigation communities and other entities in the primary sector. The Funche irrigators, operating in Los Silos and Buenavista del Norte, will receive €800,000 to modify the project for the establishment of a seawater desalination station for self-sufficient agricultural irrigation.
Additionally, the Risco Azul water community in Arafo will receive €130,700 to execute the project for replacing and improving the adduction pipes of the Risco Azul gallery, which suffered damages from the 2023 fire. Similarly, in Arafo, the Añavingo water community will be granted €36,800 to conduct comparable work on another affected gallery.
