Walter Finch
MALAGA will need three new reservoirs and two more desalination plants in order to overcome the province’s chronic drought crisis.
This was the conclusion of civic leaders from across the Costa del Sol and the province during the Metropolitan Mayors’ Forum, organised by the Ciedes Foundation.
Key proposals included the construction of three new reservoirs: Gibralmedina on the Guadiaro river, Cerro Blanco on the Grande river, and an expansion of the La Concepcion reservoir in Marbella.
Additionally, the forum recommended building desalination plants in Velez and Mijas to supplement freshwater supplies.
Malaga’s mayor, Francisco de la Torre, highlighted the importance of recycled water and leak control.
He also underlined the potential of using treated wastewater for irrigation purposes.
The provincial president, Francisco Salado, stressed the importance of improving water storage capacity and controlling leaks.
The final document from the forum, known as the water charter, highlighted several critical issues: the lack of a clear and digitalised inventory of existing water resources, insufficient knowledge about aquifers and their replenishment, poor monitoring of underground water catchments, continuous water leaks, and a lack of unified criteria for tariffs and costs.
Pending projects include improving the Costa del Sol-Malaga-Axarquia connection and extending the Pilones water treatment plant and its distribution network.
There are also plans to build a new desalination plant with a capacity of between 2,000 and 3,000 litres per second to distribute water across the Guadalhorce and the entire province.
Experts proposed further water connections, such as linking the Axarquia coast with Granada (Béznar and Rules reservoirs) and Antequera with Iznájar (Córdoba).
Additional plans include the Gibralmedina reservoir, the enlargement of the Concepción reservoir, and the Cerro Blanco dam.
New desalination plants are also planned for the Axarquia region and Mijas, with a tertiary system to reuse recycled water from the Bajo Guadalhorce treatment plant.
Finally, the forum hailed the miraculous Easter rains, which came after an apocalyptically dry winter, and replenished the region’s reservoirs.
