The Insular Water Council (CIATF), an entity affiliated with the Cabildo de Tenerife, has sanctioned the bidding process for the urgent rehabilitation works on the submarine emissary located in the Valley of La Orotava, specifically in the Punta Brava area, near the port of La Cruz. This project, with a budget of 2.7 million euros and a proposed completion timeframe of 16 months, aims to provide a lasting resolution to the existing fissure and ensure safe discharge of water. It is anticipated that the contract will be awarded within the next four months.
Since the closure of Playa Jardín for swimming due to wastewater contamination in July 2024, the Stop platform has been vocal, demanding the complete restoration of this infrastructure and asserting that it is the primary cause of the issue. Nevertheless, local authorities have disagreed, citing additional factors such as significant deficiencies in the sanitation system of Punta Brava, the malfunction of three outflows, and the overburdening of the regional treatment facility, which has become inadequate for processing the sewage of both the city and the neighbouring municipalities of Realejos and La Orotava.
The initiative involves the replacement of the submarine emissary in Punta Brava over a 240-metre stretch that currently consists of prfv (polyester reinforced with fibreglass) and where the fissure is located, with a new Pead (high-density polyethylene) structure to enhance the existing discharge arrangements. Additionally, the project includes the replacement of the caps in the emissary section, where the prefabricated blocks, designed to act as driving anchors, have been lost, alongside the anchoring of new ballast blocks in the diffuser area, owing to the deteriorated state of the current ones.
The island’s president, Rosa Dávila, states, “This intervention will safeguard the marine environment while ensuring the controlled and secure discharge of water. By implementing the emergency procedure, we can minimise administrative delays and commence the works promptly. We are committed to collaborating with the City Council to address a long-standing issue from the previous mandate that we are determined to resolve.”
Blanca Pérez, the Minister for Natural Environment, Sustainability, and Safety and Emergencies, remarks, “The emissary works are part of our broader efforts to enhance water treatment management, which also includes the construction of the new regional wastewater treatment station for the Valley of La Orotava (phase I), intended to serve 102,000 residents from the municipalities of La Orotava and Puerto de la Cruz.”
The platform asserts that “it is no coincidence” that this work has been announced merely three days following a rally that brought more than 1,500 individuals to the streets, demanding conclusive solutions to eliminate the discharges in Playa Jardín.
“It’s no accident, Sunday’s demonstration made a significant impact”
“We are quite certain that Sunday’s demonstration contributed to expediting this project by the Cabildo,” representatives from the Stop platform state. “We are thrilled that the tender has finally been issued. Now we await the tides to permit adherence to the timelines, but we are already informed of the processes,” they clarify. They also do not deem the announcement made on Tuesday by the City Council regarding the Package of Measures outlined in the new administrative concession of the Integral Water Cycle to be “incidental,” as it encompasses new infrastructure developments, including a describer.
