Por Redaccion 
La Costa del Sol Occidental will have, starting this summer, 20 cubic hectometers of desalinated water from the Marbella plant, thanks to the improvement and adaptation works carried out by the Andalusian government, which has invested almost 7.5 million euros, and whose second phase is about to be completed.
This was announced by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development, Ramón Fernández-Pacheco, during his participation in the closing of the commemorative events for the 30th anniversary of the founding of Acosol, the public company of the Association of Municipalities of the Western Costa del Sol.
The Marbella desalination plant, owned by the state but managed by Acosol, is a facility from the nineties that used to have a production capacity of 20 cubic hectometers per year, but due to various functional problems, its production decreased to six cubic hectometers. To reverse this situation, the Junta has allocated a sum of 7.5 million euros for various actions.
Last year, the first phase of the works at the plant was completed, which allowed the capacity to be expanded from six to 12 cubic hectometers. Starting this summer, the Marbella desalination plant will be able to produce an additional eight cubic hectometers, recovering its initial capacity of 20 cubic hectometers, which will cover between 15 and 20% of the needs of the Western Costa del Sol.
«This action, which was the responsibility of the State but has been assumed by the Andalusian government to help this region, has an added bonus because, in addition to meeting the demand in this specific area, in case of need and in the face of possible surpluses, it will allow the transfer of resources to the city of Málaga, the Campo de Gibraltar, and the Axarquía, as the systems are connected,» highlighted Fernández-Pacheco.
Ten offers to expand the Río Verde WTP
The Minister also referred to the tender, for 37 million euros, for the expansion of the Drinking Water Treatment Plant (WTP) of Río Verde, in Marbella, also managed by Acosol. «We are currently studying around ten offers that have been submitted, and we hope that once all the processing and contracting is completed, this action can start as soon as possible, with the aim of doubling the treatment capacity of this plant,» he explained.
Ramón Fernández-Pacheco emphasized the commitment of the Andalusian government to hydraulic matters in the province of Málaga and the Western Costa del Sol, one of the most touristy regions in Spain, which triples its population during the summer period. Among the completed projects, he mentioned the improvement of the Rojas Pumping Station, with an investment of one million euros, which will enable the transfer of water resources in two directions, from Málaga to the Western Costa del Sol and the Campo de Gibraltar.
He also mentioned that the renovation of the sewage collectors in Fuengirola is about to be completed, with an allocation of over 7.3 million euros, and works for disaster prevention and management at the Concepción Dam are being carried out with 2.3 million euros.
Regarding the 30th anniversary of Acosol, the Minister thanked the company for its demonstrated commitment throughout its history to the modernization of hydraulic infrastructures, continuous improvement of services provided to citizens, and the development of water efficiency policies.
He extended his gratitude and congratulations to the entire management team and employees, «responsible for a job well done, making this entity an example of efficient and sustainable water management in our community.»
Loyalty and institutional collaboration
During these commemorative events, the President of the Association of Municipalities of the Western Costa del Sol, Manuel Cardeña, and the Mayor of Marbella, Ángeles Muñoz, also spoke. The Mayor congratulated Acosol «for its 30 years of history and its commitment to efficiency, sustainability, and innovation in the provision of an essential public service.»
She also highlighted the cooperation between Acosol and the Marbella City Council to promote and carry out much-needed works, historically demanded, as well as the collaboration and institutional loyalty of the Andalusian government to push forward priority infrastructures in the city, such as the expansion and modernization of the desalination plant or the tender for the water treatment plant.
For his part, Manuel Cardeña praised the work done by the professionals of the public company of the Association of Municipalities of the Western Costa del Sol: «We have recently faced a severe drought that we have tackled together with all the municipalities and with the collaboration of the Andalusian government; our challenge now is to promote the use of reclaimed water and thus significantly reduce the consumption of drinking water to preserve it for human consumption,» he stated.