Water
New pipeline to improve drinking water supply between Malaga province villages
The state-owned water company Axaragua is replacing 210 metres of 50-year-old fibre-cement pipework in Cútar which supplies Almáchar and El Borge, after four breaks were recorded over the past year
Axarquía-based public water company Axaragua has completed the replacement of a 210-metre section of the water main that runs through Cútar and supplies ... drinking water to Almáchar and El Borge in the east of Malaga province. The project aims to reduce the disruptions experienced by both villages due to the deterioration of a pipe that is around 50 years old.
The water supply had to be temporarily cut off on Wednesday 5 August in order to connect the new section to the main network. Axaragua had previously notified the two town halls of the planned cut and apologised for any inconvenience caused during the work.
The replaced pipeline was made of fibre cement, had a nominal diameter of 150 millimetres and had been plagued by constant problems. As explained by Jorge Martín, president of Axaragua and of the Mancomunidad association of town halls in the eastern Costa del Sol-Axarquía, there had been as many as four breakdowns in the past year in the pipe supplying water to Almáchar and El Borge.
The new section replaces a fibre-cement pipe that is around 50 years old and had suffered four breakdowns over the past year
The project, which ultimately covered 210 metres, involved an investment of around 15,000 euros plus VAT, including both civil engineering and hydraulic works. Axaragua is confident that the replacement will prevent further water losses, unexpected cuts and emergency repairs in this part of the network.
"In this way, we are ensuring the continuity of supply to these two villages and preventing recurring breakdowns," said Martín. The president of Axaragua added in a statement that the work will enable the organisation to provide a more reliable service to the local population and reduce the financial and staffing costs associated with each emergency call-out.
The new section forms part of a strategic water supply network serving several inland towns and villages in the Axarquía. Part of this infrastructure suffered significant damage during the floods of November 2024, which affected the pipeline from the La Viñuela reservoir and necessitated complex repairs and the use of water tankers while service was being restored.
Malaga's provincial authority, the Diputación de Málaga and the Mancomunidad subsequently proposed revising the general route through the Benamargosa river valley, widening its diameter and extending it from the El Trapiche water treatment plant to Comares. The aim of this more far-reaching project is to improve the water supply to Cútar, Almáchar, El Borge and Benamargosa and to facilitate future connections with Riogordo and Colmenar.
Axaragua will continue to upgrade pipes and pumping stations while preparing for more extensive investment in the Axarquía network
At the same time, officials from Axaragua have visited the site where work is being carried out to enclose the chlorination plant located at the end of the Benamargosa river pipeline. The facility houses three pumping systems, and the aim of the project is to improve its safety, operational performance and maintenance.
Martín has announced that the public company will continue to invest in the renewal of the sections of pipework in the worst condition and in the pumping stations located throughout the Axarquía. These specific measures are being carried out while Axaragua prepares larger-scale projects to modernise an ageing network and strengthen the upstream water supply to the towns and villages of the Axarquía.
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