Benidorm returns to the pre-pandemic situation in water consumption and waste production

The data on water consumption and waste production confirm that "Benidorm has recovered the pulse it had before the outbreak of the pandemic, with figures very similar to those obtained in 2019". This was confirmed today by the mayor, Toni Pérez, after analyzing the 2022 annual data for both parameters, which "draw a picture very similar to the one we enjoyed before the Covid -19 crisis, in line with the recovery data tourist that we have been getting to know throughout the year”.

According to these data, Benidorm closed 2022 with water consumption of 9,911,396.04 cubic meters, 27.47% more than the previous year and very close to the volumes registered in the two years before the pandemic. In fact, in 2019 the annual consumption was 9,980,490.20 cubic meters. "Since May, every month the consumption of 2019 has been exceeded, although the annual calculation has been lower since in the first months of the year tourist activity was affected by the Omicrón wave", he specified.

The mayor remarked that "in parallel to the recovery of water consumption compared to the two years of the pandemic, the City Council and the concessionaire company Hidraqua have made a significant investment effort to improve water infrastructure and increase this performance of the water network and generate savings”. In fact, he recalled, "current consumption is lower than it was two decades ago when we had less population and less accommodation."

Also, “in recent years, the use and reuse have been significantly promoted, with a constant increase in the use of purified water for watering gardens and washing streets; an aspect in which we are going to deepen and continue advancing since the intention is to expand the network and points of intake of purified water to all areas of Benidorm”.

About urban waste, throughout 2022 production was close to 63,000 tons, 28.24% more than the previous year, although the figure is 8% lower than that registered in 2019.

Toni Pérez indicated that "if we go into a more detailed analysis of the data collected by the Engineering department, it can be seen that the public and the productive fabric increasingly practice the segregation of waste at source". That is to say, more and more homes and establishments separate organic waste from packaging, glass and paper and cardboard”. Specifically, in 2022, just over 12,000 tons of glass, packaging, paper, household goods, and debris have been segregated at source, 19.15% of the total waste collected. This percentage represents 2.5% more than in 2019.

The mayor stressed that "gradually the population is becoming aware of the importance of separating waste"; and added that "we are convinced that these percentage increases will continue to grow exponentially once the new contract for waste collection and cleaning of public spaces comes into operation, which contemplates the implementation of measures that will favor that separation of waste at source”.

In addition, he pointed out, Benidorm City Council has obtained almost 1.5 million euros of European funds for the implementation of new separated collections, especially bio-waste, and improvement of the existing ones, which "will also result in the improvement of separation, recovery, and reuse. These systems will have to be implemented in the year 2025.

With these starting figures and the foreseeable increases that will occur with the new contract and the improvement of the selective collection, "everything indicates that Benidorm will achieve the waste segregation objectives contemplated in the new Law and that it should be 50% in 2035 ”.