Valencia Provincial Council Completes Repair of 72 Wastewater Treatment Plants Affected by DANA

Three water treatment stations, including those in Godelleta and Siete Aguas, will require complex works to relocate collectors away from rivers.

Generic image of a wastewater treatment plant with pipes and machinery.
IA

Generic image of a wastewater treatment plant with pipes and machinery.

The Diputación de Valencia (Valencia Provincial Council) has completed the restoration of 72 wastewater treatment plants in the province that suffered significant damage due to the DANA (cold drop) on October 29, 2024, with the collaboration of the company Egevasa.

Despite the completion of most repairs, three of these facilities, specifically those in Vall dels Alcalans, Siete Aguas, and Godelleta, face a greater challenge. These treatment plants will need to undertake complex works in the coming years to relocate their collectors away from riverbeds. This decision is based on new guidelines from the Confederación Hidrográfica del Júcar (CHJ) (Júcar Hydrographic Confederation), which has re-established river levels according to the limits reached by the water during the flood.

"These actions will be prolonged over time as they involve procedures that in some cases entail land expropriations and studies to determine the best location for the new collectors."

Juan Ángel Conca · Egevasa Manager
Egevasa manager, Juan Ángel Conca, explained that these relocation projects will be lengthy, as they involve processes such as land expropriations and detailed studies to find the best location for the new collectors. A similar precedent occurred with the Ontinyent treatment plant and its collector in the Clariano River, affected by the DANA in 2019.
The vice-president of the Diputación and head of the Egevasa Board, Natàlia Enguix, highlighted the provincial institution's swift response to mitigate damage to water infrastructures, both for supply and treatment. She also emphasized Egevasa's role not only in repairing treatment plants in various regions but also in managing aid from the Ministry, which provided liquidity and resulted in significant savings for the Generalitat (Valencian regional government).
Enguix noted that EPSAR (Public Entity for Wastewater Treatment) only had to invest 2.5 million euros, a figure much lower than the initial estimate of over 30 million for post-DANA repairs. The remaining cost, which amounted to approximately 20 million euros, was covered by ministerial aid. The Diputación has played a coordinating role between local and regional administrations to optimize efficiency in essential services such as potable water supply, wastewater conduction, and treatment.