Authorities may have found solution for Guadalhorce sewage plant

A DRAFT agreement has been drawn up which could allow a project for a sewage treatment plant to cover Alhaurin de la Torre, Alhaurin el Grande, Cartama and part of Malaga City to go ahead.

During a meeting between the Junta de Andalucia regional government’s Environmental delegate Adolfo Moreno and the city’s Environmental Councillor Raul Jimenez, it has been agreed to increase the capacity of the proposed plant from 40,000 cubic metres to 70,000.

This is more acceptable for the city hall, which refused to back the original project insisting that 40,000 cubic metres would barely cover the needs of the three inland towns and would fail to relieve pressure on the Guadalhorce plant.

The problem now lies with funding. Although the Junta has promised €40 million, it is unable to provide the extra €20 needed for the larger plant. The city council has therefore proposed that Emasa municipal water company assumes the cost as long as the Junta provides guarantees needed to access loans.

This proposal will now be passed on to the Treasury Department for consideration and, if given the green light, could allow the project to be relaunched early next year.