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It may seem odd timing in the midst of an extreme drought in the province, but Malaga city can never afford let its guard down in the face of flooding. Historically its relationship with water has been one of extremes with shortages giving way to floods. This summer's nearby examples along Spain's Mediterranean coastline are a warning. In light of these events, Malaga council has speeded up calling in the heavy machinery to keep the waterways clear of debris and the drains and storm drains well maintained.
Last Thursday diggers were clearing the Guadalmedina riverbed from La Goleta to the river's intersection with the Los Ángeles stream. The aim is to remove possible obstacles to the water flow while always trying to leave some vegetation to avoid excessive soil being washed downstream.
This action forms part of the contract that the council's maintenance and operations section, led by Teresa Porras, has with the company Pérez Garrán. Everything is also carried out in accordance with the priorities and needs set by the civil protection department in its annual plan that reviews the upkeep of the city's rivers and streams.
Most progress has been made in the east of the city where more than 90% of the riverbeds are now clear - for example, at Jaboneros.
The different types of preventive action include the collection of urban solids (rubbish, objects, furniture, household appliances, clothes, fabrics, household goods, vehicles or parts thereof, debris etc), removal of dead animals, cutting back and clearing undergrowth, removal of bushes, tree branches and even trees. The cleaning teams also check drainage, which involves levelling off and removing any accumulations of sand or soil, plus shaping, reconditioning and building up the sides or banks of rivers and streams, repairing filters and the removal of any small, disused installations.
Work is also being carried out on the beach to clear the mouths of the waterways that run down to the sea so that they are not blocked by too much sand.
The clean-up contractor is accompanied by another company specialising in biodiversity to take a good look at the condition of each area.
There are two strands to this maintenance work. Firstly, an annual plan of regular clearing that involves an investment of 438,000 euros for 2024. Secondly, there are extra items for unforeseen circumstances or emergencies, which can raise the amount spent to a maximum of 725,000 euros. In any case the normal investment has risen by 15%.
City hall intends to have all work completed by November and done in the order set by the technical experts.
In the Guadalmedina area the planned work is over 30% complete and will be finished this month. In the Guadalhorce and tributaries work is scheduled to begin in the next few days.
The city's defence against floods is based on forestry and hydrological measures such as stopping the water from sliding down the slopes and preventing erosion and displacement of soil, and it also includes structures such as small dykes. There are also some hydraulic measures with dams such as Casasola and Limonero or channelling (creating run-offs) as happens with the Guadalhorce. Lastly, of course, there is maintenance, as is the case with the Guadalhorce. All this is done to slow down the water so there is not too much build-up to clog bridges, tunnels and pipes.
Keeping the sewerage and drainage network ready to cope with heavy downpours is an ongoing task throughout the year for Emasa, Malaga city's public water authority, which is now redoubling its efforts. The big numbers reflect this intense activity, with 1,507 kilometres of network inspected, 103,474 kerbside drains checked and 26,842 of these cleared of debris to date.
The frequency of the inspections varies depending on a series of circumstances that Emasa assesses in its planning, such as the location of the scuppers, the degree of dirt that they tend to catch or the areas with the greatest risk of water accumulation. Inspections are carried out between two and four times a year. In the event of a rain alert, Emasa carries out an additional inspection of the black spots.
One of the keys to improving safety is to continue to make progress in the construction of separate networks. The points where sewerage and rainwater drainage converge make things very complicated in times of heavy rainfall. This type of action is an important part of the 100 million euros investment plan, which has led to a 32-44% increase in water bills over the last five years.
The improvement work to separate sewerage networks from storm water drainage will receive 4.5 million euros. The project is broken down into two key actions. The first is to continue replacing where the networks are still as one (San Nicolás, Juan Sebastián Elcano, Molière, Washington, Vega Monsálvez, Benarrabá, Álora, Almáchar, Algatocín and Casares, among others). The second action will be the construction of rainwater collectors to fix localised flooding problems and achieve separation at various points such as Avenida Salvador Allende, the Minilla stream basin, San Javier, Torremolinos, Van Dulken, Doctor Ramón Acosta, Calamón and Gálica.
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