Benidorm completes the works to improve the pumping of wastewater to the treatment plant

Benidorm City Council has completed the work that has been carried out in recent months for the start-up of the municipality's second wastewater delivery line to Sierra Helada treatment plant. Some works have been carried out on Severo Ochoa Avenue, at the height of Nápoles Street.

To check the final status of the action, the 'A pie de calle' campaign has travelled to the area, with the Councilor for Citizenship Participation, Ana Pellicer, the Councilor for the Water Cycle, José Ramón González de Zárate, and the Councilor for Urban Scene, Francis Muñoz, the vice president of the Neighborhood Council, Antonio Zamora, and some neighbours also attended.

The work has been carried out by Hidraqua using investment funds and has consisted of the installation of 341 meters of integral cast pipe covered with polyurethane, as well as the renewal of the electromechanical equipment of the Severo wastewater pumping stations. Ochoa and Sierra Helada through the installation of seven new wastewater pumps (four in Severo Ochoa and three in Sierra Helada) capable of jointly boosting each station to a maximum flow of 590 litres/second.

Likewise, the entire electrical installation and remote control systems of both stations have been renewed to improve energy efficiency, operation and exploitation of the installation. The investment in these works has amounted to 1,511,570.91 euros.

“With the work that has been carried out, it is possible to solve the continuous breakages and breakdowns that the facilities have been suffering and that caused this second pumping line to have to be stopped for a long time,” explained González de Zárate. This meant that all the flows generated in the city had to be pumped through the general line “which had to be operating at the limit of its capacity, with the risk of occasional discharges of wastewater into the sea and the consequent unhealthy effects.” and contamination of the natural environment that this could entail. "Now we have two drive lines with full guarantees of operation."

With these new facilities, the exploitation and conservation phase begins and one of the main vital arteries in the management of the town's wastewater is re-enabled. González de Zárate has pointed out in this sense that "this way the main line is freed from the load, which is very important because, at the beginning of next year, it is planned to undertake improvement actions on the main line by the EPSAR." Some works that, according to the mayor, “will limit pumping capacity while they are being carried out.”

González de Zárate has described the action as “fundamental” because “we only had one delivery line instead of two and if there was a breakdown the wastewater could not be pumped and it would end up in the sea.” “·That is what we have avoided. They are works that cannot be seen because they are buried, but that are necessary,” he added. Now the works will continue in the area of Severo Ochoa at a surface level with work to improve accessibility and mobility and replacement of the affected pavement.

On the other hand, and as an improvement action, the project includes the construction of a new roundabout at the junction of Camí dels Torrers and Severo Ochoa, at the height of what is known as 'El Niño bend'.