Benidorm will renew the equipment of Severo Ochoa and Sierra Helada pumping stations and a damaged 342-meter drive section

The Local Government Board (JGL) of Benidorm City Council has approved the proposal of the Councilor for the Water Cycle, José Ramón González de Zárate, to renew the electromechanical equipment in the Severo Ochoa and Sierra Helada pumping stations, as well as a section damaged 342-meter-long supply line that runs along Camino de los Torreros, Severo Ochoa and Calle Nápoles.

With regard to this section, the City Council has opted for its renewal due to "the innumerable episodes of breakage that have occurred", a section that is, by far, the most requested under pressure due to its proximity to the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP). ) and for containing many elbows in its layout.

"Since the Ministry built the pipeline in 1998, there have been up to 21 repairs due to breakages," said the mayor José Ramón González de Zárate, who recalled that from the moment the work was carried out "it was already said that the materials used they were going to burst due to the force of the water, as is happening.”

However, this circumstance has not been enough for the Júcar Hydrographic Confederation (CHJ) and the Ministry to undertake the renovation of said facilities. "We asked them and they answered that there have been few breakages and that they were not going to collaborate, that it is a municipal matter" the councillor lamented.
González de Zárate has described it as "essential" to undertake the renovation of the conduit "because in case of breaking we must have a second pipe to avoid spillage problems on Levante beach".

In this sense, the mayor recalled that last year there was already a break in the area of ​​​​the Severo Ochoa curve with Napoles Street that was resolved in 48 hours "but what we did was cover and fix the surface so that they could pass cars and pedestrians. “We need a more powerful action to solve the problems” he has settled.

That is why the project for the change of the aforementioned conduction has been approved, which will be executed "as soon as possible". In fact, the counsellor specified, "we are already requesting supply materials, which are highly specialized and come from abroad." The objective is to carry out the work "as soon as possible" in order to be finished in the summer "and in the event of a break in the main pipe, to be able to have the second pipe already prepared".

The development of these tasks will entail some modifications in the road traffic of Severo Ochoa "of which we will inform shortly". In any case, González de Zárate has advanced "the intention is to cut only one traffic lane and leave an alternative passage for all the residents of this street and Rincón de Loix".

On the other hand, the City Council will also renew the pumping equipment of the Plaza de la Hispanidad, Sierra Helada and Severo Ochoa Wastewater Pumping Station (EBAR) with new pumps, suction and discharge collectors and other elements. These three stations make up the second line for raising wastewater to the WWTP "and its pumping has presented a series of problems that have caused some interruptions in normal operation, which has caused an excessive cost of operation and maintenance."

The execution period for all these actions has been set at a maximum of six months.