Hallelujah!

The Mayor of Nerja, José Alberto Armijo, has announced the start of the long-awaited sewage treatment plant in Nerja.

The Mayor added that although the project had actually begun following the completion of various administrative procedures, he realised that the residents of Nerja were unlikely to believe it until they saw diggers or workmen at the site. Hardly surprising as the sewage plant has been ‘on the agenda’ for over four decades.

The mayor expressed his satisfaction but pointed out that it was now a period of uncertainty and concern as it is a large project with many complexities still to be overcome. Pumping ninety percent of the residual waters uphill is likely to be one of those.

The plant, with an initial budget of €23 million, will be sufficient for a population of 100,000 with an average flow of 25,000 cubic metres per day. The project is being carried out by the joint venture company (UTE) of Corsan-Corvian Construcciones and Isolux Ingeniería.

If all goes according to plan, the construction will be completed in twenty-four months. There will then be a period of six months for testing before it becomes properly functional. Towards the end of 2016 then, if all goes perfectly to plan.

This is some considerable time after the deadline set by the EU for zero emissions into the sea but the Government has in the past expressed a willingness (for the taxpayers) to pay the corresponding fines incurred. It should, of course, never have got to this situation, but one must be grateful that something is finally being done to remedy what can only be described as a ‘disgraceful’ situation.