Capital's Southwest Secures Desalinated Water Supply by 2027
Santa Cruz has begun a €2.8 million project to construct a new pumping station that will ensure a reliable desalinated water supply for nearly 50,000 residents in its Southwest district by spring 2027.
By spring 2027, the Southwest district of the capital will have a reliable supply of desalinated water. This will be thanks to a new drinking water pumping station, which will connect the Santa María del Mar reservoir with the Barranco Grande reservoir, supplying the entire area where nearly 50,000 people live. Work on this €2.8 million project has already begun, funded by the city's council and in collaboration with the company Sacyr Agua.
On Wednesday, Mayor José Manuel Bermúdez, along with the Councilor for Public Services, Carlos Tarife, the Southwest district councilor, Javier Rivero, Sacyr representatives, and city technicians, visited the site. They saw the initial construction work for the project, which is expected to take 18 months to complete.
The Mayor emphasized that this project will ensure 100% of the Southwest district's population receives desalinated water. He called it "great news," especially given the island's current water emergency. He added that nearly 50,000 Santa Cruz residents will benefit from a safe and sustainable source of drinking water.
Carlos Tarife, the Councilor for Public Services, explained that this project builds on the temporary solution implemented in 2023. That solution was put in place after the forest fire that devastated northern Tenerife and affected the Aguamansa, Arafo, and El Portezuelo water channels. "Now we are moving from a temporary measure to a definitive and efficient infrastructure," he stated. He also stressed that this work will ease the pressure on these three traditional water points, helping to improve the water supply across the entire island.
The new pumping station will be built next to the Santa María del Mar reservoir, in La Estrella park (Los Alisios). From there, it will pump water to the Barranco Grande reservoir, located on Las Hespérides Avenue, near La Morena Street in El Sobradillo. The system will pump water up a height of 140 meters and will have the capacity to move 10,000 cubic meters of water daily. This will be done through a 2,200-meter-long pipeline made of 300 mm diameter ductile iron.
The project will also include energy-saving features, such as frequency converters and solar panels to generate electricity. These measures will lower the facility's electricity use and environmental impact. The work will be carried out in six stages, gradually affecting different parts of Las Hespérides and nearby streets. This phased approach aims to keep disruption to traffic and residents to a minimum during construction.
District councilor Javier Rivero also highlighted that the project will not cost residents anything extra. He added that it will guarantee access to high-quality desalinated water and remove the risk of water cuts or fluoride issues, like those experienced between December 2023 and February 2024.