Environment

Work starting in March to stop Palma beach spills

Red flags because of spills were all too familiar last summer. | Joan Torres

Majorca Daily Bulletin reporterPalma31/01/2019 17:44

The Emaya municipal services agency has awarded the contract for work that will prevent spills of faecal water at beaches in Palma. The agency's board has given the contract, worth 22.6 million euros, to an Acciona joint venture group. The funding is coming form the water bill charge.

Emaya's president, councillor Neus Truyol, says that since 2010 there has been no investment using revenue for the water charge, which is paid to the regional government. The current administration in Palma has come to an agreement with the government for the spending of 35 million euros on projects to improve the water and sanitation system.

The contract is for two new facilities. One is for an interceptor manifold for faecal and rain water from the Avenidas to the Coll d'en Rabassa treatment plant. This is designed to prevent overflows when there is heavy rain, which are the consequence of the plant not having the capacity to cope.

The other is a new pumping station and tank to retain initial rainfall so that it doesn't end up in the sea and cause potential contamination.

The work will start in March and will last eighteen months. Truyol adds that it will be a remedy to the historical problem of mixed faecal and rain water going into the sea. The need to have to close Can Pere Antoni and Ciutat Jardi beaches because of spills will be reduced by 90%.