Costa del Sol and Andalusian regional government to co-sponsor 'water highway' construction
The aim of this long-awaited improvement of water transfer between Malaga province's coastal municipalities is to ensure security at times of drought
The Andalusian regional government and the association of western Costa del Sol municipalities (Mancomunidad) will co-finance the long-awaited 'water highway' project.
Both institutions will make four annual instalments, amounting to 6.5 million euros (13 million in total), invested in the improvement of the water transfer network.
The agreement is now in the latest official gazette of the regional government (the Bojas). The aim of this substantial investment is to improve the distribution of high-quality water throughout the area, especially in its eastern section, and to finally connect it with Malaga city. The final section will run through the reversible bypass of the Rojas pumping station (Churriana).
The Costa del Sol system is fraught with complex issues, including the obsolete system and continuous pipe bursts. Fixing such deep-rooted issues is what swells the budget.
First step towards interconnecting systems
Work on the first section of the 'water highway' began in December. CHM Obras e Infraestructuras-Albaida Infraestructuras is responsible for this phase, covered by a budget of 13.6 million euros. The section should be ready by the end of this summer.
This first contract to improve the transfer of water along the coast includes the drafting of the project and work on the section of the pipeline between Torrequebrada (Benalmádena) and El Pinillo (Torremolinos).
This is a complex project, with points of conflict with the Cercanías de la Costa del Sol train line, Benalmádena port, subways and other areas. Geotechnics, archaeology, junction with gas and telephone services are also important points for consideration.
The 'water highway' is already optimally functioning between Malaga city and the Axarquia district, in both directions. This has given residents a great peace of mind in times of drought.
Rojas pumping
The regional government has previously carried out work on the aforementioned pumping station in Rojas. The objective was to insure the theoretical transfer of 500 litres per second in both directions.
Obsolete network
Water company Acosol's two main pipeline projects date back to 1965 and originate from the Verde water treatment plant (another bottleneck in the water transfer). One branch goes to the east and the other to the west.
The network has reached a point of wear that makes it obsolete. The technical report confirms a high number of pipe bursts, especially in the aforementioned Benalmádena-Torremolinos section - the main weakness of the Costa del Sol. The risk of material and personal damage is very high in these urban areas.
The Andalusian regional government has declared this major project to be of regional interest.
