The board of the Spanish state-owned company Aguas de las Cuencas de España (Acuaes), under the Ministry for the Transition and Demographic Challenge, has approved a new agreement with the Lanzarote Water Consortium for additional sanitation and purification projects worth €15 million.
This agreement will support ongoing works in Arrecife and Tías, part of a deal signed in July 2021. In Arrecife, Acuaes is expanding the wastewater treatment plant, which will serve approximately 126,000 equivalent residents. Completion is expected next January.
Currently, 1,300 of the 2,640 metres planned for the expansion of the outfall have been installed. Issues encountered during the project have necessitated a partial halt, requiring a new plan to complete the remaining 1,340 metres, which was put out to tender on July 8.
Meanwhile, improvements to the existing treatment plant in Tías and upgrades to the wastewater pumping station in Puerto Calero are set to begin next August when the project launch document is signed.
The latest agreement increases the total investment for these projects to €52.5 million, up from €37.5 million in the 2024 agreement. This funding will facilitate the construction of a new land-based outfall in Tías, rehabilitation of part of the underwater diffuser to enhance dilution conditions, and new pipelines connecting Yaiza, Uga, and the new treatment facility.
Additionally, a treated water reservoir will be built for irrigation, municipal cleaning services, and park maintenance. Half of the investment will be financed by the EU’s FEDER funds for 2021-2027, while Acuaes will front the other half through its own capital (40%) and a loan (10%), which will be recouped through tariffs once the new facilities are operational.
