Saving water to save agriculture
Huge investment is being made to ensure there is a sufficient supply for farming
THE GROWING importance of saving and reusing water for crop irrigation, especially since the government reduced the amount to be supplied from the Tajo-Segura river transfer, is illustrated by two regional government initiatives in Alicante province.
Work to improve and remodel the Alquibla irrigation channel is practically finished at a cost of €2.1 million.
This channel supplies 1,433 hectares of farmland growing citrus fruits and vegetables in municipalities including Orihuela, Bigastro, Jacarilla, Benejúzar, Algorfa and Benijófar.
This is one of nine projects to improve irrigation channels in the Vega Baja for a total cost of €12M.
The channels not only enable better use of water for traditional irrigation, but also help to drain flood water after heavy rain and flooding.
Work on two other large irrigation channels, the Acequias de Callosa-Tanda Catral, and de Orones, are 80% and 90% completed respectively, explained regional agriculture secretary Roger Llanes.
The objective is for the hydraulic network to save a substantial amount of water, he explained.
Recycling water
Meanwhile, the regional public wastewater sanitation company (Epsar) has signed a deal with farmers to reuse treated water in the Campo de Alicante and Bajo Vinalopó areas.
This agreement will provide the farmers with 2.75 cubic hectometres of water over the next year, an amount equivalent to the annual consumption of a town with 41,250 inhabitants.
The water supply will match the salinity levels requested by the farmers and will comply with the most demanding standards for use on fruit and vegetable produce.
The fee the farmers will pay is the same as the current users of the infrastructure, just under 20c/m3, only about 1.5c/m3 more than those using the Tajo-Segura river transfer have been paying.
The Riegos de Levante farmers’ community has 22,000 members who irrigate over 26,000ha between Orihuela and Muchamiel.
Valencia reuses more water than any other region of Europe – of the 453hm3 that is treated annually, more than
half is reused for environmental purposes (129.76hm3 in 2021) and the rest for productive ends (127.22hm3).
Most of the treated urban wastewater reused for productive ends has been for agriculture.
Alicante province reuses more than 90hm3 (over 70%), of which two thirds is for agriculture and the rest for environmental purposes in the fluvial basins.
The province also has 16 treatment plants (EDARs) which reuse 100% of the effluent, 14 of which destine 100% of their volume for agriculture. This is particularly important due to the water deficit in the south of the region and the high demand for it from farmers in this area.
For this reason, Epsar is planning works worth €150M in 2023, including reforms at the Orihuela and Orihuela Costa EDARs, complete renovation of the plant at Elche-Algorós, incorporation of regeneration treatment in Villajoyosa and Altea, and installing regeneration treatments at 16 plants in the Vega Baja.