The Aguas Insular Council (CIATF), a body affiliated with the Cabildo de Tenerife, recently held a tender, in a remarkably swift manner, as highlighted by the island’s government. This tender pertains to the rehabilitation of the submarine emissary for the La Orotava Valley, an emergency procedure that was initially abandoned the previous Monday. On Tuesday, the institution had indicated that the works would be tendered the following week, but ultimately, it occurred yesterday. A 13-day window for submitting bids has now commenced. Significantly, the works will proceed with the original pricing, backed by an investment of €2.7 million set aside since 2022, with an execution period of 16 months.
The emissary project falls under initiatives aimed at enhancing water treatment, which also include the development of a new wastewater treatment facility in the Valley (Phase I), expected to benefit 102,000 residents from La Orotava, Puerto de la Cruz, Los Realejos, and Santa Úrsula.
This initiative involves the replacement of the submarine emissary in Punta Brava over a 240-metre stretch currently made of fibreglass reinforced polyester, where a fissure has been detected, with a new high-density polyethylene solution, thereby improving the current discharge situation. Additionally, the replacement of caps in the emissary section is accounted for, particularly where the prefabricated blocks have deteriorated, along with the anchoring of new ballast blocks for the diffuser area due to the poor condition of the existing ones.
Blanca Pérez, the Minister for Natural Resources, noted, “The new tender has been processed at an extraordinary pace, and in the next fortnight, we will begin to receive bids. Once these are evaluated, we will proceed to award the contract to commence as swiftly as possible.” She also mentioned that the issues regarding the classification of companies will be addressed to encourage participation in the tender.
