The Cabildo de Tenerife, through the public company Balsas de Tenerife (Balten), has invested 8,320,464 million since 2019 to ensure the supply of irrigation water to farmers on the Island.
The insular president, Pedro Martín, explains that since the current mandate began “we have carried out a total of 32 actions in different parts of the Island to bring quality water to the primary sector, to whose maintenance we allocate significant investments because it is strategic for Tenerife. It is important not only to support production, help feed animals or boost fishing activity, but also guarantee farmers quality water, in sufficient quantity and at affordable prices”.
Pedro Martín puts in value the 3.3 million allocated to the re-waterproofing of large ponds, such as the one in Benijos, in La Orotava, or the one in Montaña Taco, in Buenavista, as well as the 1.4 million to repair the transport pipeline Santa Cruz-Arona.
For his part, the Island Councilor for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Javier Parrilla, stresses the “investment effort” made by the current government team, which is 283% more than that made by the previous government, when they barely reached the 3 million executed”.
Parrilla explains that “we have been able to carry out actions with our own means, improving transportation or taking new pipelines to points in need, such as pumping reclaimed water from El Tablero, in Santa Cruz, to the Valle Molina pond, in Tegueste; pumping reclaimed water from the Pedro Ayerra WWTP (Valle de Guerra) to the Valle Molina pond; the support pumping installation for the supply of water from Cruz Santa to the Benijos pond or the commissioning of the Tamaimo canal to provide water in Lomo del Balo”.
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The counselor also highlights the investment of 1.4 million for the repair of the Santa Cruz-Arona transport pipeline, “a fundamental infrastructure to guarantee the supply of the south of the Island”. Likewise, he recalls that in 2023 the Cabildo will allocate 1,146,000 euros to guarantee the free change of meters, in order to promote water savings and remote reading.
In 2019, the Island Corporation invested 157,000 euros “mainly intended for the emergency repair of the breakage, due to lack of maintenance, of the reclaimed water transport pipeline in Los Moriscos, in August 2019,” Parrilla details.
In 2020, with a budget of 151,247 euros, the actions focused on adapting the connections to improve the supply and quality of irrigation water. In this way, the conduction of the Niagara gallery was united with the Tágara-Trevejos conduction, in Guía de Isora; Vilaflor’s irrigation network was improved and adapted (which has made it possible to distribute more than 150,000 cubic meters since then), and work was carried out to connect the EDAM de la Monja with the Ravelo reservoir.
In 2021, the executed budget contribution reached 355,430 euros. Of particular note are the works to replace two sections of the irrigation water distribution network on Calle Los Placeres and La Romera, in Los Realejos (71,694 euros) or the supply of hydrometers for the operation of the distribution network of Valle San Lorenzo , in Arona (273,713 euros).
2022 allowed tendering, awarding and executing works worth 6,589,211 euros. The 3.3 million allocated to the re-waterproofing of ponds stand out, such as the one in Llanos de Mesa, in San Juan de la Rambla (552,263 euros); that of the Benijos ravine, in La Orotava (1,135,450 euros) and that of Montaña de Taco, in Buenavista (1,782,132 euros).
It is also worth mentioning the replacement of a section of the irrigation water distribution network on El Brezal street, in Los Realejos; the repair of the reclaimed water pipe from the El Tablero reservoir to the San Lorenzo hydraulic complex (Güímar); the updating of the remote control and surveillance system of the Isla Baja irrigation network; the entry into operation of regenerated water in Armeñime, in Adeje; or the remote control system of the regenerated water irrigation network of Valle San Lorenzo (Arona).
