Benidorm approves the Master Plan to promote the use of reclaimed water in the city

Benidorm City Council today approved the Master Plan for the Promotion of Reclaimed Water Use in the municipality. This proposal, put forward by the Councillor for the Water Cycle, José Ramón González de Zárate, was unanimously approved by all political groups, and its first phase is already underway in the Poniente area. The Plan will now be subject to a one-month public consultation period, after which any objections raised will be addressed.

This plan, drafted by the company Hidraqua, "systematically plans the implementation of specific reclaimed water distribution networks, guaranteeing the quality of the resource for each use and ensuring the technical, economic, and environmental viability of the planned actions." Furthermore, the Plan becomes "a strategic tool for diversifying supply sources, reducing pressure on conventional resources, and strengthening the municipality's water sustainability."

González de Zárate stated that this is a “strategic commitment” by Benidorm “to innovation, sustainability, and a guarantee for the future,” since the infrastructure will “significantly reduce drinking water consumption, generate substantial economic savings, and position the city as a leader in sustainable water management.” According to the councillor, the phased implementation and diversified financing “guarantee the project’s viability, which will benefit thousands of homes.”

The Plan will establish a roadmap for implementing a reclaimed water distribution network in Benidorm that will reduce drinking water consumption by 15%, equivalent to 1.5 cubic hectometers annually. It will also replace the use of potable water with reclaimed water for uses that do not require drinking water quality, create a dual infrastructure that guarantees a sustainable long-term supply, improve the efficiency of integrated water cycle management, and position Benidorm as a leader in sustainable management.”

The councillor also stated that the main beneficiaries will be homeowners' associations, the City Council, sports and recreational facilities, and the hotel sector, and that among the main positive consequences are “reduced pressure on aquifers, a smaller water footprint, and an estimated savings of around €750,000 per year in the purchase of potable water once fully implemented.” The total estimated investment for the complete implementation of the Master Plan is €25.79 million.

The investment, according to González de Zárate, should come from European funds, subsidies from the Generalitat (Valencian regional government), the municipal budget, public-private partnerships, and contributions from beneficiaries. The councillor, however, emphasised that it is “a long-term plan with a progressive and phased implementation.”

Among the matters approved in this plenary session, the City Council unanimously supported the proposal to award the Benidorm Corporate Medal to former mayor Rafael Ferrer Meliá, who led the City Council from April 4, 1978, to April 16, 1979, and is known as ‘the water mayor’ for facilitating the purchase of the Beniardá wells during the historic water crisis the town experienced in 1978, which threatened to leave it without water and also without customers for its burgeoning tourism industry. With this Corporate Medal, the city recognises the role played by Ferrer Meliá during his time as mayor, when he “had to confront and resolve the most serious crisis in its 20th-century history, thus initiating the process of managing the Integrated Water Cycle, which, after years of effort, has led us to become a model of water management.”

The motion, submitted by the Board of Spokespersons at the proposal of Mayor Toni Pérez, highlights Rafael Ferrer Meliá's dedication to public service and total commitment to the people of Benidorm. He also oversaw the constitutional referendum of December 6, 1978, and the preparations for the first democratic municipal elections on April 3, 1979. Furthermore, during his brief term of just 377 days, the Benidorm ring road project was approved, and he actively worked to resolve issues in various departments, including Beaches, Street Cleaning, Education (high school, primary schools, and daycare), the fire station, and the water treatment plant. He also demonstrated a strong commitment to cooperation and shared responsibility with the other municipalities in the region.

The awarding of this Corporate Medal will be formalised at the institutional ceremony that the Benidorm City Council will hold on December 6th to commemorate the Spanish Constitution Day.

Likewise, the plenary session also agreed to update the delegation agreement to SUMA for the collection of taxes in the enforcement phase, expanding this delegation to encompass all public revenue, without the need for individual delegation of each item. The proposal, put forward by the Finance Councillor, Aida García Mayor, was approved unanimously by all political groups.

At the proposal of the Councillor for Public Service, Jesús Carrobles, the initiation of the procedure for granting a public commendation by the Valencian Regional Government to Local Police Officer José Ramón Fuentes Marín for saving a life on September 6th was unanimously approved. On that day, thanks to his speed and skill, he grabbed a man from behind, pulling him from the danger zone as he attempted suicide, preventing him from carrying out his intention. The councillor highlighted the "good daily work" of the members of the Benidorm Local Police and encouraged officers to "continue working in this direction."

On the financial front, the local government team approved, on its own – with the PSOE voting against and Vox abstaining – the payment of invoices totalling just over 8.2 million euros. The auditing process was omitted because the services for which the contracting procedures are still underway, but which must continue to be provided as they are essential services, such as street lighting, street cleaning, and traffic lights, among others. Councillor Aida García Mayor explained that in all cases, the invoices have been reviewed and validated by the technical staff and have the corresponding budget allocations, and correspond to services actually provided by the various companies.

Also in the economic section, an extrajudicial recognition of debt totalling €1,001,844.73 was approved for the payment of outstanding invoices from previous fiscal years. The proposal passed with the votes of the governing party, the abstention of Vox, and the vote against by the PSOE. Aida García Mayor, the Finance Councillor, clarified that the invoices have the approval of the Comptroller's Office for approval and payment and defended it as "the appropriate mechanism for doing so."

Furthermore, the political groups were informed of the data regarding the execution of the third quarter of the municipal budget for the current fiscal year.

The statutes and integration of Benidorm City Council into La Vila Joiosa Wastewater Treatment Plant Users Association have also been approved, as well as the members who will represent the City Council in the Association's General Assembly: councillors José Ramón González de Zárate and Mónica Gómez. "This is an administrative procedure to pay what we owe for discharging into the Amadorio River, as required by the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Júcar River Basin Authority (CHJ), and to prevent further fines for doing so without being a member of the Users Association," González de Zárate explained.

In the same session, the Regulations Governing the Temporary Transfer of Use of Emergency Social Housing by Benidorm City Council were initially and unanimously approved. The Councillor for Social Welfare, Ángela Zaragozí, explained the need for this type of housing resource “for people who, due to exceptional circumstances, are homeless or at imminent risk of losing their homes.” The regulations outline the requirements for accessing this resource, such as “unsustainable family relationships, damage to the primary residence, eviction situations, or people in transit due to a vulnerable and urgent situation.” Occupancy will be for the minimum necessary time and a maximum duration of 15 days.

In the extraordinary business section, a proposal from the Valencian Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FVMP) was approved with votes from the PP and PSOE parties and opposition from Vox, commemorating the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. The City Council agreed to endorse the declaration and “join this collective effort for a more just, violence-free, and truly egalitarian society,” as stated in the plenary agreement.

Through this proposal, the Benidorm City Council has reaffirmed, once again, “its commitment to working towards true equality as the foundation for eliminating gender violence, while also offering a heartfelt and affectionate tribute to the women victims, their children, and their families, who are just as much victims as they are. And today, as every day of the year, we express our absolute condemnation of this scourge and reject abusers, whom we believe have no place in our society,” the motion states.