Xàbia to develop tertiary treatment to allow safe reuse of wastewater
Mayoress calls for regional government investment to carry out infrastructure improvements
Xàbia has been one of several municipalities along the coast which had to close at least one of their beaches during the summer due to the presence of contaminated water which had allegedly been pumped into the sea from water treatment plants, either deliberately or through breaks in the pumping network.
The mayoress Rosa Cardona and the councillor responsible for the Water Cycle, José Marcos Pons, held a meeting with the Environmental Regional Secretary, Javier Sendra, the director-general of Water, Sabina Goretti and the manager of EPSAR, the public company responsible for the treatment of water in the Comunidad Valenciana, including Xàbia, to convey their demands regarding the purification and pumping system which is dependant on EPSAR.
The regional secretary explained that the visit was the first contact of a study to determine the measures that need to be taken to ensure that the contamination of the sea – and consequently the popular bathing areas – doesn’t happen again, promising to work in a coordinated manner – EPSAR, General Directorate of Water and the Council – to detect the specific problems that occurred during the summer and determine the resolutions.
He also highlighted the regional government’s commitment to implementing the third phase of purification – the so-called Tertiary Treatment phase – which will allow the reuse of treated water for agriculture, garden irrigation and street washing. In addition, EPSAR expressed their commitment to improve the pumping systems in the Arenal to ensure that the popular beach does not have to close again, especially during the high season.
In response the mayoress said that her government would “do our homework” but that Xàbia needs investment from the regional government to improve the town’s water network whilst the councillor also confirmed the local council’s commitment to improve the sewage network, the first step of which is to improve the treatment of wastewater and develop the Tertiary Treatment phase to allow the reuse of treated water which is currently pumped out into the sea.
