Marina Baixa Consortium approves asking for a transfer of 3 hm3 to increase reserves if the drought persists

Marina Baixa Water Consortium has approved to request a transfer of up to 3 cubic hectometres from the Júcar Hydrographic Confederation (CHJ) to increase the resources of the region in case the lack of rain prolongs the current drought situation. The members of the Consortium have approved this request during the extraordinary and urgent General Meeting held today in the Plenary Hall of the City Council and chaired by the head of the Provincial Council of Alicante, César Sánchez.

The mayor of Benidorm, Toni Pérez, has indicated that "this request is made for foresight" and to "increase the reserves" of the region since "we have had an autumn and a winter of shortage of rain".

The intention of the Consortium is that these external water contributions can be made effective at the beginning of June, in case the current situation is maintained. In this regard, the mayor recalled that at the end of 2016 the county body requested a transfer of 7.5 cubic hectometres to the CHJ that was not necessary at the time of two consecutive episodes of precipitation between the end of that year and the beginning of 2017.

Although the request refers to the arrival of these flows occurs shortly before the start of the high season, during the General Meeting the mayor has proposed that the CHJ be required to anticipate the shipment of 0.5 cubic hectometres "to be able to to have a convincing proof that the entire Fenollar-Amadorio connection network works perfectly ". This advance shipment would allow enough time to act in the event that "any dysfunction" or driving problem that requires repairs or works is detected. Repairs that in previous moments wanted to pass on to the Water Consortium, although the agency has a resource in this regard.

Pérez stressed that, if materialized, this purchase of water "will not be passed on the receipt paid by neighbors and taxpayers", but will be financed with a charge "to the remnant of the Consortium, which has liquidity" thanks to the good management that has been made both of water resources and economic. "