Malaga city and Axarquía now able to receive water from western Costa del Sol

The drought crisis in Malaga city and the Axarquía to the east of the province has had a new weapon in its armoury for a few days now: the doubling of the capacity at the Rojas pumping station (Churriana), which has been managed by the Junta de Andalucía. This will allow the transfer of up to 500 litres of water per second in both directions from the western Costa del Sol.

It is not a panacea because everything depends on the resources of each area, but it is a strategic project. And that is how the mayor of Malaga city, Francisco de la Torre, has seen it. He has welcomed the possibility of these contributions to the city from water processed by Acosol, which is based in Marbella and is responsible for the supply of water to the 11 municipalities in the area.

During the 1995 drought, Malaga city was saved in part by the inflows from La Viñuela reservoir in the Axarquía. In recent months, it has been the city that has been providing water at a rate of 300 litres per second to the Axarquía, although this flow stopped before the summer thanks to the heavy rains that fell in the area in March.

As things stand, the reservoirs that supply Malaga city have just 48 cubic hectometres of water. That is enough water for less than ten months. The mayor wanted to offer some peace of mind with the loading of the wells of Aljaima and Fahala (Cártama), which already supply 20 per cent of the city and with the activation of those of Bajo Guadalhorce (Malaga Airport area). This action, also carried out by the Junta de Andalucía, will be ready by spring 2025 and will be able to supply more than half of Malaga's consumption.

To put the figures in context: Emasa injects about 1,500 litres per second into the urban network. De la Torre also believes that regenerated water from wastewater treatment plants is vital to lower the pressure on the reservoirs. In this sense, Malaga already provides nine hm3 per year from the Peñón del Cuervo and the treatment plant of the Guadalhorce WWTP is in the project phase, which would add a further 15 hm3.

For the mayor, the El Atabal desalination plant is a guarantee because it allows the treatment of water from the Guadalhorce reservoir, which, he said, has up to seven times more salt than the sea, but which, mixed with water from the other reservoirs and wells, reaches El Atabal in a condition to be treated optimally. The desalination plant, inaugurated in 2005, also allows for the treatment of low-quality subsoil resources.

"As far as water quality is concerned, we have peace of mind. In terms of quantity, there are many measures to be taken. If there is a connection from the Costa del Sol to the city, which has already been completed, to the extent that in the Verde reservoir (La Concepción), it rains more than here, then we can have access if we need it, as we have given to the Axarquía," said De la Torre on Monday 23 September. "All this movement of water from west to east will always allow us to defend ourselves better against drought," he added.

Almost at the same time, the Junta de Andalucía's spokesperson for water, Ramón Fernández Pacheco, during his visit to the extension works of the Marbella desalination plant (the first phase is finished and already produces 12 hm3 per year and in January there will be 20) certified the end of the Rojas pumping station work, among whose beneficiaries he also mentioned the city.

The pumping system, which is part of the framework of the Junta's third drought decree, began to be updated last winter and has involved an investment of more than one million euros, which has made it possible to update the remote controls, pressure regulation, new pipes, build new walls and enclosures and replace pumps.

La Concepción reservoir in Marbella currently holds 25 hm3 and the desalination plant will not reach the aforementioned 20 hm3 until a few months from now. The Axarquía has enough water to supply the population for a year. In all cases, agricultural irrigation is reduced to a minimum.