Santa Cruz Wastewater Plant Expansion Delayed Until 2028 Amid Political Backlash
The expansion of the Buenos Aires Wastewater Treatment Plant in Santa Cruz de Tenerife has been delayed until 2028, sparking criticism from local officials who warn the setback threatens the region's environmental standards and coastal water quality.
Political tension is rising once again over water infrastructure in the Canary Islands. The Ministry for the Ecological Transition has informed the Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council that the expansion of the Buenos Aires Wastewater Treatment Plant (EDAR) will be delayed until June 2028—four years behind the original 2022 deadline.
The city government has reacted sharply to the news. Carlos Tarife, the Councilor for Public Services, criticized the state’s management as disrespectful to the city, warning that the delay directly threatens the environmental quality of the coastline. A fully operational plant is essential for the municipality’s beaches to qualify for Blue Flag status and is a critical part of the city’s "zero-discharge" strategy. The City Council and the municipal company Emmasa have already invested 16 million euros in local improvements, such as those in La Hondura, to prevent untreated water from being released—efforts that the councilor says are now being undermined by the Ministry’s inaction.
The 18-million-euro state project has faced repeated setbacks since the agreement was signed in 2020, with deadlines pushed back from 2024 and 2025 to the current 2028 target.
The Ministry attributes this latest delay to technical issues discovered during testing last July, specifically leaks in the left conduit. Additionally, the Directorate General for Water stated that the project must be modified to redesign the sludge line, as the current equipment failed to reach the required dryness levels for reactor stabilization.
A significant amount of work remains, including upgrades to the Cabo Llanos pumping station, adjustments to the water line, and the launch of the new biological reactor. The goal is to reach a treatment capacity of 55,000 cubic meters, though this remains dependent on the approval of the necessary technical changes. In response, the municipal government plans to keep up institutional pressure through the Government Sub-delegation to speed up the completion of this vital sanitation project for Santa Cruz, La Laguna, and El Rosario.