The water company of the Costa del Sol Consortium is finalising a €350 million plan to renew infrastructure that is decades old. Its first president, Matilde Mancha, details the timelines for key works.
Matilde Mancha, president of Acosol, the water company of the Consortium of Municipalities of the Costa del Sol, has revealed that in four years they want to have 30 kilometres of the so-called 'water motorway' operational. This is the network of large conduits that must guarantee supply to the entire region in the face of demographic pressure and future droughts.
Mancha, the first woman to lead the company and with a long career at Hidralia, acknowledges that the current system is a "giant with feet of clay": a large part of the infrastructure is between 40 and 60 years old. In fact, this very year it has been necessary to receive water from Málaga capital due to a lack of capacity in the conduits.
The president explains that the total investment plan amounts to €350 million, partially financed by a fee that will be passed on to citizens over 30 years. To avoid waiting that long, they have closed a deal with the European Investment Bank (EIB) for €175 million, of which they have already signed a first tranche of €75 million (90 with VAT) that must be executed in two and a half years.
One of the most urgent works is the expansion of the El Verde water treatment plant, currently being tendered by the Junta de Andalucía, along with the improvement of its reservoir, which is "very deteriorated". Mancha describes it as "the heart of high supply" for all coastal municipalities.
In parallel, the connection between Benalmádena and Torremolinos is progressing, a project costing €16 million that is already 50-60% complete. Work will resume on 1 September and is expected to conclude by 31 December, according to the company's schedule.
Mancha has also addressed beach closures due to discharges during the summer. She attributes them to the combined sewer systems, which mix stormwater and sewage, and which "become stressed" during heavy storms. She defends that the monitoring of bathing waters is ongoing by the Junta and the municipalities, and that the closures are "prudent" until the analyses give the green light.
The president insists that the water sector must "turn around" the priority of operation and maintenance over investment. "All operators must consider strong investments," she states, and calls for "maximum coordination" with administrations to renew networks that she considers "obsolete" and unable to meet current demand.
The challenge is significant because today there is only one conduit operational in the water motorway; the other is outdated. In the event of a breakdown, supply can be cut off for three or four days, a situation that Mancha describes as "critical and extreme". Therefore, the goal is to have the network reinforced and connected in four years to supply "without any risk" to the entire population of the Costa del Sol.
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