The Western Costa del Sol will have, starting this summer, 20 cubic hectometers of desalinated water from the Marbella plant, thanks to the improvement and adaptation works carried out by the Andalusian government, which has invested almost 7.5 million euros, and whose second phase is about to be completed.
This was announced by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development, Ramón Fernández-Pacheco, during his speech at the closing of the commemorative events for the 30th anniversary of the founding of Acosol, the public company of the Mancomunidad de Municipios de la Costa del Sol Occidental.
The Marbella desalination plant, owned by the state but managed by Acosol, is a facility from the nineties that used to have a production capacity of 20 cubic hectometers per year, but due to various functional problems, its production decreased to six cubic hectometers. To reverse this situation, the Junta has allocated a sum of 7.5 million euros for various actions.
Last year, the first phase of the works at the plant was completed, which allowed the capacity to be expanded from six to 12 cubic hectometers. Starting this summer, the Marbella desalination plant will be able to produce eight more cubic hectometers, recovering its initial capacity of 20 cubic hectometers, which will cover between 15 and 20% of the needs of the Western Costa del Sol.
«This action, which was the responsibility of the State but has been undertaken by the Andalusian government to assist this region, has an added bonus because, in addition to meeting the demand in this specific area, in case of need and possible surpluses, it will allow the transfer of resources to the city of Malaga, Campo de Gibraltar, and Axarquía, as the systems are connected,» highlighted Fernández-Pacheco.
Ten offers to expand the Río Verde WTP
The minister also referred to the tender, for 37 million euros, for the expansion of the Drinking Water Treatment Plant (WTP) of Río Verde, in Marbella, also managed by Acosol. «At the moment, we are studying around ten offers that have been submitted, and we hope that, once all the processing and contracting is completed, this action can start as soon as possible, with the aim of doubling the treatment capacity of this plant,» he explained.
Ramón Fernández-Pacheco emphasized the commitment of the Andalusian government in hydraulic matters to the province of Malaga and the Western Costa del Sol, one of the most touristy regions in Spain that triples its population during the summer period. Among the completed projects, he mentioned the improvement of the Rojas Pumping Station, with an investment of one million euros, which will enable the transfer of water resources in two directions, from Malaga to the Western Costa del Sol and Campo de Gibraltar.
He also mentioned that the renovation of the sewage collectors in Fuengirola is about to be completed, with an investment of over 7.3 million euros, and works on disaster prevention and management at the Concepción Dam are underway, with 2.3 million euros allocated.
Regarding the 30th anniversary of Acosol, the minister expressed his gratitude for the commitment shown by this company throughout its history in modernizing hydraulic infrastructure, continuously improving services to citizens, and developing water efficiency policies.
He extended his gratitude and congratulations to the entire management team and its employees, «responsible for a job well done, making this entity an example of efficient and sustainable water management in our community.»
Loyalty and institutional collaboration
During these commemorative events, the President of the Mancomunidad de Municipios de la Costa del Sol Occidental, Manuel Cardeña, and the Mayor of Marbella, Ángeles Muñoz, also participated. The mayor congratulated Acosol «for its 30 years of history and its commitment to efficiency, sustainability, and innovation in providing an essential public service.»
She also highlighted the cooperation between Acosol and the Marbella City Council to promote and carry out much-needed works that have been historically demanded, as well as the collaboration and institutional loyalty of the Andalusian government to advance priority infrastructures in the city, such as the expansion and modernization of the desalination plant or the tender for the drinking water treatment plant.
For his part, Manuel Cardeña praised the work done by the professionals of the public company of the Mancomunidad de Municipios de la Costa del Sol Occidental: «We have just faced a severe drought that we have tackled together with all the municipalities and with the collaboration of the Andalusian government; our challenge now is to promote the use of reclaimed water and thus significantly reduce the consumption of drinking water to preserve it for human consumption,» he stated.
