This Thursday, the Cabildo of Tenerife and the Ministry of Ecological Transition formalised the addendum to the agreement with Aguas de las Cuencas de España SA (Acuaes) for the funding, execution, and operation of sanitation and purification measures on the island.
According to the Ministry’s statement, once these measures are implemented, the issues surrounding non-compliance with wastewater purification directives and water protection will be resolved, enabling the reuse of wastewater for agricultural irrigation.
The addendum encompasses a rise in the anticipated investment to 233.5 million euros (excluding IGIC), an increase from the original 170 million euros envisaged in the agreement from 2020.
“This increase is a result of the expansions in the scope of certain systems at the request of the Cabildo de Tenerife and the Insular Water Council, coupled with the extraordinary surge in construction material prices in recent years,” the statement elaborates.
The agreement was signed today by María Rosa Cobo, president of Acuaes, and Rosa Dávila, president of the Cabildo of Tenerife, during a ceremony held at the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge.
The Ministry also notes that the projects are substantially advanced, with an execution level of 62 percent overall; however, the systems in Western, Granadilla, and Valle de La Orotava have reached 92%, emphasising the completion of the Western treatment plants and Los Letrados, which will be operational once the relevant discharge authorisations are obtained from the Canary Islands Government and Endesa finishes the connection procedures, which have experienced “considerable delays,” as indicated by the Government of Spain.
In the Western system, construction has also occurred on the San Juan wastewater treatment and pumping station (ETBAR), alongside four EBARs and impulse pipelines facilitating the transfer of water from Santiago del Teide to the San Juan ETBAR located in Guía de Isora for its journey to the treatment facility.
The connection project linking the centre of Chío to the general median collector is in an advanced drafting stage, spanning approximately six kilometres, with public information set to be released in the upcoming weeks.
In the Granadilla system, adjacent to the Los Letrados treatment plant, a collector network stretching 10 kilometres has been established to link the mid-range area with the Los Letrados WWTP, alongside an 8.5-kilometre pipeline transporting water from the coastal regions of Los Abrigos, La Tejita, and La Mareta to Ensenada Pelada, where it will be elevated to the Los Letrados WWTP.
The new EBARs at Los Abrigos and El Muelle are currently in the drafting phase, with the initially planned location needing alterations.
Additionally, work continues in the Arona Este – San Miguel system, focusing on the structures of the Montaña Reverón WWTP. Construction has begun at the Tamaide WWTP, the Las Chafiras ETBAR, and the channeling of the Barranco de Uchoba in San Miguel.
In the Arona East system, work on the impulses, the ETBAR of Las Galletas II, and the EBAR of Guaza and Malpaso has commenced, culminating in a total of 22 kilometres of pipelines already executed.
The general sewage collectors of the Orotava Valley are awaiting project completion following the conclusion of the auctions.
Concerning the Acentejo system, on December 6, tenders were issued for technical assistance services to draft the construction plans for the Acentejo Region’s WWTP as well as the collectors and drives that will channel discharges from the municipalities of La Matanza, La Victoria, and Santa Úrsula to the facility.
The Ministry has also underlined that this addendum includes co-financing from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), as part of Spain’s Pluriregional Operational Programme (POPE).
