Additional reclaimed water on its way for subtropical fruit growers in the Axarquía

With La Viñuela reservoir in the Axarquía area of Malaga province at an all-time low, at just 8.4 per cent of its capacity and 13.9 cubic hectometres of water stored, Andalucía’s regional government, the Junta, has issued farmers in the area with temporary authorisations to use reclaimed water from local waste water treatment plants.

The regional government has agreed that subtropical fruit growers may have access to reclaimed water from Vélez-Málaga, Torrox, Algarrobo and Rincón de la Victoria waste water plants, which will provide them with an additional 4.75 cubic hectometres per year, according to the Junta de Andalucía in a press release on Thursday 17 August.

The project to connect the Peñón del Cuervo and Rincón de la Victoria waste water treatment plants, which will bring water from Malaga city to the Axarquía for irrigation "are in an advanced state of execution, with expected entry into service at the beginning of October", according to the Junta. Once complete, this will bring an annual volume of 9.15 cubic hectometres of regenerated water to the area, as SUR reported on 1 August.

Once all of the projects have been completed, the Axarquía will have a total volume of reclaimed water for irrigation of more than 19.14 cubic hectometres, and to date approximately 10 cubic hectometres have already been authorised.

The reuse of reclaimed water from the Nerja treatment plant, with an estimated volume of a further two cubic hectometres, is currently being studied. The regional delegate for Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development in Malaga, Fernando Fernández, said in a statement: "The only thing we cannot do is to make it rain, but we are doing everything in our power." According to the delegate, the Junta has earmarked more than 300 million euros for various projects to ensure supply throughout the province and is responding to the extreme drought in the Axarquía.

"Water is life and this government is working tirelessly to find solutions and projects for the drought," Fernández concluded.