Benidorm completes the works to improve the drainage of rainwater in the ravines of Xixo and Foietes

Benidorm City Council has completed two important actions that have been carried out in recent months, such as the improvement and adaptation of the rainwater drainage in the Xixo and Foietes ravines, whose purpose was to reduce polluting discharges into the marine environment. In total, the investment has been 301,285 euros.

The aim was to solve the existing problems in the Poniente area, at the mouth of both ravines and in the urban basin of Parque de Elche, as a consequence of the discharge into the sea of the first surface runoff generated by the urban basin of the two ravines in episodes of rain.

The mayor of Benidorm, Toni Pérez, has visited the area today to verify 'in situ' the completion of the interventions, accompanied by the councilors of the Water Cycle, Public Space and Beaches, José Ramón González de Zárate, Francis Muñoz, and Mónica Gómez respectively. During the visit, Pérez once again reiterated "Benidorm's commitment to constantly improve the city's hydraulic infrastructures that allow us not only to avoid discharges into the sea".

Both actions were considered "urgent", explained the mayor, because work on the implementation of the Low Emissions Pedestrian Zone on Avenida Armada Española is expected to begin shortly. For this reason, it was considered “very convenient” to simultaneously carry out the pedestrianization works and the drainage adaptation works in the affected section of Poniente.

The intervention in Xixo has consisted of the construction of a dam inside the channeling frames of the ravine for the diversion of low water from it and the channeling of the same towards the existing Rainwater Pumping Station (EBAP) in the right bank of the ravine through a newly installed collector. All the rainwater collection scuppers have been connected to this collector downstream of the channeling dam up to the mouth. Likewise, two pumps that were not operational have been put into service. The budget for the works was 139,758.96 euros.

Regarding the action in the Foietes ravine, this has consisted of the execution of a new rainwater pumping station where the low waters of the channeling of the ravine can be diverted. It has also made possible the power supply and commissioning of another pumping station that was not operational either. "The two stations already collect all the water that may be contaminated to send it to the wastewater network, thus preventing it from reaching the beach, with the consequent damage that this would entail" the mayor specified. The investment in this second action has been 161,526.46 euros and has been financed like that of the Xixo ravine from the Investment Fund of the concessionaire of the Integral Water Cycle, Hidraqua.