Major investment in Balearic sewage treatment plants

THE Environment Ministry is to invest 23.5 million euros in a “high impact” sewage treatment project spearheaded by Ibasan, the Balearic Sanitation Institute. The ministry's leader, Jaume Font, confirmed the plan is to upgrade the functioning of the 75 sewage treatment plants under government jurisdiction. He said that the time frame for carrying out these urgent works schedules their completion “for the end of spring next year”, so that the network can improve its performance during summer 2004. “The quality of the water from treatment plants in the Balearics isn't the best, which is why we need to make a focussed effort on improvement. When this government's term of office has come to an end, we will be confident that everyone on the island will have access to a high standard of water resource”, Font said. With an investment of 5.2 million euros, one section of the project will be dedicated to making good the technical deficiencies of the sewage treatment network in the Balearics. Among proposed measures are: the substitution of “an important part” of the 1'000 sets of obsolete pumping equipment, the reform of electrical installations and smaller civil building works. Separately, there are plans for the optimisation of the effluent, with resulting improvement in water quality, using primary and secondary treatment processes. The concurrent aims will be to minimise the impact on the environment, improve the aspect of effluent connection points, and reduce the unpleasantness of smell and noise. The minister will set aside 13.96 million euros for this section of the project.
Font went on to announce that one of the most important actions of this programme, will be the repair of the sewage treatment system of the town of Ibiza, which according to the minister, suffers from serious ongoing problems due to smells from the treatment works and its drainage system. Addressing the issue, Font drew attention to the importance of all relevant departments reaching agreement on identification of the problems and on undertaking the technical measures necessary to finish the problem. The official endorsement of the plans has been fixed for the month of October, after representatives from the Port Authority, the sewage treatment plant, the residents affected and ecological organisations have had an opportunity to voice their opinion.