MULTI MILLION EURO WATER PROJECT

Staff Reporter THE first pipelines of the Sa Costera water supply project were christened yesterday by the leader of the Balearic government, Jaume Matas, and the Secretary of State for Water and Coastline, Pascual Fernandez. The massive water channelling project, costing some 56 million euros, aims to avoid lack of supply at times of peak demand in the Soller valley, and at the same time, increase the water supply available in the Bay of Palma. The construction programme consists of an under-seabed pipeline measuring 9'060 metres in length, a section on land of 640 metres, a storage point at Soller with capacity for handling 44'000 cubic metres of water and a similar point for handling 1'000 cubic metres near the Alfabia gardens. Also included are the conduits which carry the water to these storage areas and up as far as the S'Estremera aquifer where 8 underground wells, each 200 metres in depth are to be drilled. The project will entail the construction in total of 45 kilometres of different pumping systems in order to carry the surplus from the Sa Costera waterfalls and the Soller Valley torrent (water course) as far as Son Pacs, in Son Sardina, the north of Palma and on to the districts of Soller and Bunyola. The works, which will take 2 years to complete, will enable an annual average of 20 cubic hectometres from the surplus water from the Tramontana mountains to be used, guaranteeing the supply for the Bay of Palma. The bill of 56 million euros, is being financed by the central government Environment ministry with a European Union subsidy. The Secretary of State eulogised the project as “brilliant” as it will maximise the use of fresh water without recourse to desalination in that particular area.