The Fuerteventura Cabildo have announced a one-year extension of the emergency status for water on the island, originally declared due to ongoing water scarcity issues. The decision, made earlier today, Monday 2nd September, during the Governing Council’s Board meeting, aims to facilitate the completion of critical water infrastructure projects across the northern, central, and southern regions of the island.
The meeting, chaired by the President of the Cabildo, Lola García, and the Water Councillor, Adargoma Hernández, highlighted the urgency of continuing efforts to improve the island's water supply.
According to García, the extension supports a dozen priority projects, including the construction of a new water transport network from the Calderetilla storage tank to the Tiscamanita reservoir, which is the main storage facility for the southern region.
Other crucial initiatives include the ongoing expansion and enhancement of the Corralejo water production centre and the new pumping system from La Herradura to Calderetilla.
Councillor Adargoma Hernández noted that this is the second extension of the water emergency, following the initial declaration on September 1st, 2023. Significant progress has been made since then, including the completion and activation of a new pipeline between the Puerto del Rosario desalination plant and the La Herradura reservoir system.
This pipeline is part of a broader strategy that also saw the commissioning of a reverse osmosis desalination module capable of producing 7,200 cubic metres of water per day, and improvements to the Puerto del Rosario desalination facility.
Currently, more than 30 projects are underway, with several emergency works already completed. These include the deployment of desalination modules with a daily capacity of 2,000 cubic metres at production centres in Corralejo and Puerto del Rosario, and the installation of sand filters at the Gran Tarajal desalination plant.
Additionally, the CAAF (Consorcio de Abastecimiento de Aguas a Fuerteventura) is focused on expanding and monitoring key water transport networks to identify and address areas of significant water loss.
The continued state of emergency highlights the critical need for these infrastructure improvements to secure a stable water supply for Fuerteventura's residents and visitors.
