Costa del Sol town applies for licence to build well-water desalination plant as drought continues

The drought crisis in Malaga province and the rest of Andalucía has forced the president of the Junta de Andalucía, Juanma Moreno, to approve the fourth drought decree in a week. Estepona, on the western stretch of the Costa del Sol, has already begun to prepare for the worst-case scenario and has applied to the regional government for a licence to construct a well-water desalination plant.

The town hall’s proposal is to drill boreholes to capture water at the mouth of the River Padrón to supply the town. This infrastructure, which is expected to be operational in spring, would provide 2,900 cubic metres of drinking water per day; an increase of 11 per cent in the town's supply.

The town hall is also in the process of obtaining permission to install a seawater desalination plant in the area of the River El Castor, which will operate with a system of photovoltaic panels to generate its own electricity supply. The water treatment plant is designed to reduce costs and construction time, as it is made up of prefabricated modules.

The plant is expected to produce 20,000 cubic metres of water per day, which can be increased to 30,000 cubic metres in the future. Mayor of Estepona José María García Urbano explained that the projects are priorities for the town hall and necessary to guarantee water supply to the population and to help the local economy.

These emergency actions, along with others planned, are part of the Water Infrastructure Works Plan approved by Estepona town hall in December 2023 and are a response to the Junta de Andalucía’s declaration of a serious drought on the western stretch of the Costa del Sol.