Domingo Manuel Cejas Curbelo, Councilor of the Cabildo of Lanzarote for Waste, Water, Wind Energy, Transport, Mobility and Accessibility, receives La Voz on Thursday, August 24 in his office to talk about urban mobility, but current affairs dictate and the water supply problems take center stage in the conversation.
The Councilor acknowledges being "fully working to solve the water supply problems" on the island, which takes up most of his day these days.
Cejas explains that starting in September, the necessary improvements will be made to the network in the streets that are experiencing the most losses, which he believes will greatly improve the situation for next summer: "We will not be suffering what we are suffering this August."
“Of the water we produce, only 44% reaches the consumer. That is unheard of, no person or company can support it”
The councilor also confirms that the two desalination plants had already left La Palma for Lanzarote. “We are eager for them to arrive in port with the intention of taking them to Díaz, Rijo and putting them into production” as soon as possible.
With this, the councilor estimates, it will be possible to compensate for “the stoppage we had, as soon as this government group arrived.” At the beginning of summer, the old frame of the Lanzarote III desalination plant, located in the Díaz Rijo plant, was out of service, which reduced the water supply on the island by 10,000 cubic meters per day.
"The goal is that within four years we can lower the water losses we have today by between 10 and 15 points.”
However, Cejas Curbelo emphasizes that the most work needs to be done on the streets of the different towns of Lanzarote. “Of the water we produce, only 44% reaches the consumer. That is unheard of, no person or company can support it”.
The objective of the Cabildo, explains the councilor, is that “within four years we can lower the water losses we have today by between 10 and 15 points.”
Cejas Curbelo highlights the importance of planning, projecting and executing the improvements. “Especially executing”, he remarks. "We are clear about where the serious network problems are on this island. Mainly in the towns and neighborhoods.”
“That is why we are going to act fully in specific towns, with specific actions. We are going to lift the entire network and start laying new pipes.”
"To have an optimal supply network, hundreds of millions are needed”
“Starting in September we are going to undertake the repairs on the 38 streets approved on August 23, next month we will approve another 55 and then we will enter into large projects in all the towns."
To have an optimal supply network in Lanzarote, Cejas Curbelo calculates that “hundreds of millions are needed”. “What we have projected in this legislature is 90 million euros in investments in the integral water system of Lanzarote from now to 2027".
The councilor believes that this “is not the time to debate whether the Cabildo should regain control of the management of the water network, but to scrupulously monitor the current contract with Canal Gestión to guarantee its compliance.”
"The new pipes will have a minimum lifespan of 50 years”
“If we tried to terminate the current contract, the company would say perfect, you pay me everything I have invested and the expenses that this causes me. I believe that the Cabildo now has to be looking for money to invest in improving the network, a competence that does not correspond to Canal Gestión”, he explains.
In this regard, the councilor clarifies that the actions that the Cabildo is preparing are not an obligation of Canal Gestión but are works that correspond to the Water Consortium, which is the one that provides the infrastructure.
“They have to be replaced, we should have started a lot of years ago and today we would perhaps be talking about half”
The pipes in the Lanzarote network, which consists of 1,500 kilometers, were installed in the 80s and are now more than 40 years old. “They have to be replaced, we should have started a lot of years ago and today we would perhaps be talking about half”, says Cejas Curbelo.
The councilor's objective is to “renovate 100 kilometers per year”, 400 in the four years of the legislature. The councilor explains that the useful life of the new pipes that will be installed will be longer: "I hope they have a minimum lifespan of 50 years.” The old pipes are made of polyethylene and the new ones will be made of smooth PVC, “which have many more years of useful life”, he adds.
