ACP Proposes Regional Wastewater Management Board for La Orotava Valley
The Portuense Citizens' Assembly has proposed a unified sanitation board to manage wastewater across the La Orotava Valley, aiming to improve infrastructure coordination and environmental protection in northern Tenerife.
Wastewater management in northern Tenerife is at a crossroads. The Portuense Citizens' Assembly (ACP) has proposed a new partnership between Puerto de la Cruz, La Orotava, Los Realejos, and Santa Úrsula to manage sanitation across the La Orotava Valley as a single, regional project. This initiative coincides with the construction of a new treatment plant led by the island council.
David Hernández, the ACP spokesperson, has presented the plan to local water department heads, calling for the creation of a "Valley Sanitation Board." This group would serve as a hub for technical and political coordination, ensuring that infrastructure is managed as a unified system rather than being held back by municipal borders. The ACP argues that this approach is essential to protecting the environmental quality of vital areas like Playa Jardín.
The proposal also calls for stronger oversight from public health authorities. The ACP believes that simply monitoring water test results is not enough; instead, they advocate for a comprehensive overhaul of the sanitation network. They suggest that the conversation should include input from independent experts and citizen groups, such as "Stop Dumping at Sea" (Stop Vertidos al Mar).
This push for change comes amid increasing social and regulatory pressure to improve how the Canary Islands handle wastewater. As the region works to meet European water standards, the ACP hopes that this shared governance model will ensure the new treatment plant is not just a standalone fix, but the foundation of a long-term strategy to finally resolve the region's historical sanitation problems.