Torremolinos clears 124 tonnes of waste from storm drains with wet wipes accounting for 40%

Torremolinos has cleaned 1,001 storm drains so far this year. This work has resulted in the collection of 124 tonnes of waste, that is more than one hundred kilos per drain. Of this amount of rubbish, which obstructs the normal functioning of the water collection system that prevents flooding, approximately 40% corresponds to wet wipes, despite appeals to only throw them in the bin, never down the toilet. Alongside these are cotton buds, nappies and tampons - items that should not be flushed down the toilet under any circumstances, as the town hall reminds the public. As part of this work, a total of 17.1 kilometres of sewage network have been cleaned.

In addition, the Torremolinos water management department engages in cleaning services throughout the year to ensure maximum hydraulic capacity in times of heavy rainfall.

At the same time, the stream cleaning plan has been put in place to clear drainage routes and water outlets to prevent flooding. Litosa - the company in charge of this task - is carrying out cleaning work in the Gazpacho, Pan Triste, Cueva de la Higuera, Saltillo and La Pedrera, and Pinillo streams. The approximate total cost, including personnel, machinery and Litosa resources, is 11,585 euros.

Back in November, Torremolinos estimated the amount of damage caused by the autumn rainfall at more than 300,000 euros. One of the main issues concerned canalisation and the Saltillo stream, which runs under Calle Decano José Gómez Rando and flows into the Mediterranean sea. In 2017, the connection was improved, although with a narrowing of the pipes, as they were designed with a diameter of 600 millimetres to reduce capacity by half, precisely in the pedestrian boulevard along the coast.

Following the heavy rainfall in February, Torremolinos put its emergency plan into action. Subsequently, the storms in March forced the town hall to mobilise its teams to attend to complications caused by the dragging of materials and undergrowth in El Pinillo, Carlos Cano, Camino del Pilar, La Carihuela and Avenida del Carmelo, on the descent from Montemar to the beach. There were also traffic jams in the area around the Plaza del Lido, as well as on Calle Peligro. Although no personal injuries were reported, the emergency services carried out rescue operations to help people get out of their vehicles that were getting dragged by the water.