Too much salt meant the abandonment of the water recycling project. | Elena Ballestero

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In 2010, the first phase of a project for the reuse of water to supply certain hotel needs in Alcudia was completed. At the time, it was a pioneering project in Majorca. The total cost was to have been 4.5 million euros. A third of this was spent on the first phase and drew on funds from the national government's Plan E scheme for environmental public works.

The project was meant to have started operating in June 2010. The eventual aim was to supply more than half of Alcudia's hotel stock with treated water to be used for gardens and flushing toilets. The first pipe connections were laid along the two avenues - Pedro Mas y Reus and Tucan - which are in Alcudia's main tourism centre.

Unfortunately, the project had to be aborted; it has been mothballed ever since. The problem was that the treated water had unacceptable levels of salinity. Now, however, Alcudia town hall wants to revive the project and rectify the problem of salt water in the system. It has therefore presented a proposal for funding from this year's tourist tax revenue. The amount being asked for is 800,000 euros.