The plenary session agrees to apply for a grant of 4.8 million European funds to improve the efficiency of the water cycle

The City Council is going to apply for the first call for subsidies for projects to improve the efficiency of the urban water cycle launched by the Ministry for Ecological Transition, as unanimously approved by the plenary session held today. For this call, the city aspires to obtain 4.8 million euros from Next Generation funds to develop a large digitalization project of its water network. Benidorm will apply for this grant through the concession company, Hidraqua, which in turn has drawn up the project.

A project that, as explained by the Councilor for the Water Cycle, José Ramón González de Zárate, "proposes a total of 17 actions, for a total amount of 6,458,594 euros -plus VAT- and which mainly affect digitization of the entire water network to improve its efficiency”. The proposed actions include advancing in remote reading, monitoring the sewage system, installing discharge detectors, digitization, etc. "In short, improve knowledge of the water cycle and improve urban resilience" indicated the mayor.

González de Zárate recalled that Benidorm "already exceeds 95% of water use, as a result of constant investment and application of the latest technology" and added that "if the project is selected we will make something that we have been working on for a long time come true. developed. Benidorm will establish itself as a benchmark in the digitization of the water cycle in the national territory and will be an example for other municipalities, with actions and improvements, some of which are already in the development and implementation phase.

17 "very important" actions round off all the work that is being done in the water cycle in Benidorm. The largest action planned is to deepen the digitization of the sewerage network. The mayor has indicated that "the objective is to install measurement sensors throughout the entire sewerage network to have greater surveillance and real-time control over the quality of residual water and the operation of the network itself."

He also highlights the proposal to monitor the possible arrival of water into the sea from the ravines or from the water network itself when episodes of heavy rain occur, detecting their duration and flow. The rest of the actions contemplated in the project are the implementation of digital twins in the drinking water treatment stations (ETAP) of Benidorm and Terra Mítica, the modeling of urban basins to comply with the Municipal Action Plan against the Risk of Floods, and the automation of the water delivery points of the Marina Baixa Consortium in the DWTP of Terra Mítica, of the station itself and the supply tanks. It also plans to digitize the water quality sampling points in the supply network and leak search operations using sensors, as well as sensory and monitor ravines.

It also proposes increasing technological and innovative solutions to improve emergency management and early warning, predict the quality of coastal waters, identify possible spills, and control potential sources. The scope, monitoring, and results of all actions will be centralized in an information system.

On the other hand, the session also unanimously approved the DTI Master Plan for the period 2022-26. A plan was presented and approved at the meeting on December 21 of the Governing Council of the DTI Management Body.

No new allegations or contributions have been submitted to the plan, in which representatives of the citizenry, business associations, and other groups have participated in its preparation. The government spokesperson, Lourdes Caselles, thanked the technicians who prepared it for "their involvement" because "they are aware of the importance for the city of continuing to be pioneers. It is a plan that defines strategies and to face the challenges”. Ella Caselles added that "it is precisely being a smart destination that makes us maintain the success of our model and that more people visit us every year." At this point, the mayor has qualified that "we will only be the best destination if we are capable of being the best city to live in."

Unanimously, the Interior Reform Plan and the Isolated Action Program for plot A of the Partial Plan 'Sinto Sentella' and Detail Study of the Bristol Park Hotel presented by a company have also gone ahead. This approval supposes the construction of 40 tourist accommodations and a commercial area, reconverting a building area for tertiary-commercial use into tertiary-tourist accommodation. The proposal entails a transfer of buildable area allowed by the General Plan, which has not received any allegations and has favorable technical reports.

With the votes in favor of the government team, the abstention of Cs, and the vote against the socialist group, a government motion has been approved to urge the Ministry of Universal Health and Public Health to activate "the immediate reopening of the CICU of the province of Alicante with its sights set on a compact, modern, a coordinated health system that is close to the problems and realities of the population, which provides all the necessary resources to our health professionals to carry out their work with full guarantees", as expressed by the deputy spokesperson and councilor for Health, Mónica Gómez.

The counselor highlighted "the role that the CICUs have played over the years", which she has described as "fundamental". "For this reason, we understand that this centralization implies a decrease in the quality of Urgent and Emergency Health Care" she added. The popular councilor has also emphasized through the proposal "the total support for the existence of the provincial CICUs and, especially, we convey our gratitude to all the workers who during these years have carried out a silent and impeccable work."

The plenary session also informed about the deed of reception and delivery of the work of the first phase of the Cultural Center, which took place on December 29, as well as the reports issued in this regard of the Summary Report of the results of internal control in the City Council for the year 2021, issued by the Municipal Intervention.