Land Acquisition Advances San Blas Wastewater Plant Upgrade in Candelaria
Candelaria has finalized the acquisition of land for €64,700 to upgrade the San Blas Wastewater Pumping Station, a key step in connecting the town's sewage system to the Güímar Valley's regional wastewater treatment plant and ending sewage discharge into the sea.
The official Santa Cruz de Tenerife Province Gazette announced yesterday that €64,700 will be paid for a piece of land at 4 Paseo de San Blas. This is the agreed price for taking over the land.
This decision, which was approved in a meeting back in March, is a big step forward for improving the San Blas Wastewater Pumping Station (EBAR). This station is essential for connecting the town's sewage system to the Güímar Valley's regional wastewater treatment plant.
The land is 251 square meters in total, with 196.06 m² suitable for building. There's also a ruined building on 144 m² of the land. It's currently classified as undeveloped urban land. Once the owner has been notified and paid, the Town Council will issue a certificate to take possession of the land. It will then be handed over to the General Directorate of Water, which is part of the Canary Islands Government, so work can begin.
This project is part of a larger plan to improve wastewater treatment in the Güímar Valley area. A key part of this plan is upgrading the San Blas Wastewater Pumping Station (EBAR). Currently, it collects water using gravity and pumps some of it out to sea, which isn't good enough for today's needs.
By adding this new land, the pumping station will be able to send more wastewater to the Güímar Valley's regional treatment plant. This means Candelaria can fully join the regional system and work towards stopping all sewage discharge into the sea.
The Tenerife Island Council and the Canary Islands Government are working together on major water projects in the Güímar Valley, worth €40 million. This includes €14.5 million for the Industrial Estate's wastewater treatment plant, €7.2 million for the Los Tarajales Pumping Station, and €2.4 million for a new seawater desalination plant.
Additionally, €1.2 million is being shared among the three towns in the area to improve sewage systems and household connections. There's also a €10 million grant for the towns of Arafo and Güímar. The Canary Islands Government will contribute around €8 million for the wastewater pumping work in the San Blas area of Candelaria.
In 2021, Candelaria Town Council agreed with the Island Water Council to spend €976,733 on the EBAR Punta Larga–EBAR San Blas pumping line. This is part of the first phase of the project, which has a total budget of almost €9 million. The Güímar Valley's regional wastewater treatment plant, which is already partly running, will be able to treat up to 7,500 cubic meters of wastewater per day.
Other projects include improving the water infrastructure in Plaza de la Patrona, costing over €2 million, and the Candelaria coastal sanitation project, which is almost finished. This announcement finalizes the administrative process, but the landowner can still appeal the decision.