Tenerife Overhauls Water Management with Major Shift to Circular Reuse Model

Tenerife is reaching a turning point in how it manages water, according to Island Council President Rosa Dávila. The island is moving away from simply disposing of wastewater and toward a "circular" model, where water is treated and reused. This shift aims to tackle water shortages for farmers while protecting the island’s coastline.

The progress is significant: wastewater treatment capacity has jumped from 52% in 2023 to 86% today. The Council expects to reach 97% once pending infrastructure projects in the metropolitan area and the Arona-Este-San Miguel system are finished, pending support from the national government. This expansion adds 60,000 cubic meters of purification capacity every day, bringing the total to 152,700 cubic meters.

A key part of this strategy is water regeneration. Over the last three years, the island’s ability to recycle water for irrigation has grown by 78%. This provides an extra 23 million cubic meters of water annually for agriculture—a vital boost during the current drought. The island’s infrastructure has also expanded; while only three of the original eight treatment plants could regenerate water, eight of the current twelve plants now have this technology, with another on the way.

The Council has invested 364 million euros in this transformation, with an additional 147 million euros planned through an agreement with the state-owned company Acuaes. This total investment of over 500 million euros is designed to build a complete water cycle that prioritizes reuse over waste.

This new approach addresses a long-standing challenge for Tenerife, where limited rainfall and difficult terrain have always made farming difficult. By recycling water, the island is reducing its reliance on underground aquifers and protecting its marine environment, bringing Tenerife in line with European standards for the circular economy.