Santa Cruz to Inspect Anaga Septic Tanks Over Pollution

The Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council plans to ask the water company, Emmasa, to thoroughly check all public septic tanks in the villages of the Anaga massif. Private septic tank owners will also be asked to do the same. This is to quickly address any pollution found in the rural park's underground water sources, which supply the city and irrigate local farms.

Carlos Tarife, the Councillor for Public Services in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, announced yesterday that Emmasa would conduct a technical review of the Anaga massif's water situation. This comes after the PSOE party, during a city council meeting, highlighted the poor condition of the wastewater system in the Anaga area, which is a Biosphere Reserve. Councillor Florentino Guzmán reported that residents complain about broken and cracked wells, allowing sewage to leak into the ground, ravines, and underground water, polluting this protected region.

Guzmán reminded everyone that the city council "owes a long-standing debt to this part of the municipality." He explained that there's no proper sewage system there, and the wells in the upper villages are either in very bad shape or outdated, posing a clear risk. "We need to act right away," he urged.

Tarife explained that "the law permits individual wastewater treatment using septic tanks and absorption wells in populated areas without sewage systems. This method is approved for places where installing a full sewage network would be too expensive, even if it's not the perfect solution."

The councillor for the area noted, "We must work closely with the Cabildo (Island Council) to improve this situation. While it's currently legal, we know it needs to be better. We're doing similar work in other parts of the municipality, like San Andrés, María Jiménez, Añaza, Acorán, and Cabo Llanos. Our goal is to stop all discharges and help Santa Cruz regain its blue flag status for clean waters. I promise all these projects will be finished this year."

Tarife also announced plans to address another faulty sanitation and rainwater system in the capital, specifically on the slope of San Andrés, before the end of next summer. He said, "We will carry out a precise 'surgical' intervention in this area with the Cabildo, and funding has already been secured." He added that similar work would be done in Barrio Nuevo and the Regente ravine to separate sewage from rainwater. This will allow residents to connect to the new system, solving existing sanitation issues.

Separately, during the control commission meeting, discussions also covered the renovation and turf replacement for the football fields in Tíncer, Llano del Moro, Barranco Grande, and Añaza. The socialist group had asked for Javier Rivero, the Councillor for Public Works, to attend. Rivero reported that technical plans for two of these four sports facilities have already been approved: Añaza (costing 1.8 million euros) and Llano del Moro (costing 2.1 million euros).

Rivero explained that while these two projects were approved in 2025, they are now completing the technical reports for the other two fields: Añaza (2 million euros) and Barranco Grande (1.9 million euros). The Barranco Grande project has also been changed to give the club more playing surface. The total investment for all four fields is about eight million euros. Once work starts, it will take between seven and ten months to complete. He clarified that these projects are "more than just replacing the turf"; they also involve "adding covers to the stands, as many clubs have requested, and upgrading electrical and plumbing systems."

The PSOE also requested an update on Cabo Llanos, leading to another appearance by the government team. Matilde Zambudio, a socialist councillor, questioned Javier Rivero (Public Works) and Carlos Tarife (Public Services) about plans to develop this part of the capital. She stated that Cabo Llanos "was promoted decades ago as the new Manhattan, but today it still lacks basic services and has problems for residents because the city council hasn't acted."

The Councillor for Public Works mentioned that "the design for the Palmetum linear park is now complete. This park will include a pedestrian walkway that fully encircles the coastal area, stretching from the Maritime Park to the Casa de la Pólvora, right along the sea."

Rivero added that this project is split into three parts. The first part, covering its design and management, has already been awarded for nearly 300,000 euros. The other two parts, involving the area around the Maritime Park and the promenade leading to the Casa de la Pólvora, have also been given to a well-known architecture firm in Barcelona, which submitted initial designs in late December. "We will now start the technical review phase, aiming to open tenders for the work next August," he said. These works are expected to cost around 15 million euros.

Meanwhile, the Councillor for Public Services mentioned that his department would also start another project in Cabo Llanos this year: creating a new park called Celia Cruz, situated between the two towers. He stated, "We have secured 2.6 million euros in European funding for this area to get its first major green space."

Tarife also urged the Government of the Canary Islands to "speed up development on the plots of land still awaiting construction in the City of Justice." Additionally, he asked the State to "finish the wastewater treatment plant in the Buenos Aires area, which is four years behind schedule. Completing this plant will also allow for a pedestrian walkway from the Maritime Park to the Regla hermitage."