The Government will install water dispensers for tanker trucks in Bunyola, Petra, Alcúdia and Ciutadella

PalmThe Balearic Government has initiated the drafting of new projects to install desalinated water dispensers for supplying tanker trucks at various locations in Mallorca and Menorca. The aim of this initiative is to advance the replacement of groundwater resources with non-conventional resources and reduce pressure on aquifers once major infrastructure projects reach all areas in need, as explained by the Ministry of the Sea and the Water Cycle. This action is part of the current hydrological plan and responds to the need to establish short-term mechanisms that make water from the main network more accessible, in this case via trucks, by bringing loading facilities closer to the areas with the most recent needs. The planned projects involve the installation of water dispensers in Bunyola, Petra, and Alcúdia, in Mallorca, and in Ciutadella, in Menorca, all on plots of land linked to infrastructure managed by the Balearic Water and Environmental Quality Agency (Abaqua), such as reservoirs or treatment plants. These filling points will allow for the controlled and safe supply of desalinated water to tanker trucks, facilitating its use in areas that lack a direct connection to the main water network or that require occasional supply reinforcements. The drafting of the projects has been entrusted to the public company Tragsatec, which will expedite the work and provide the necessary technical documentation for future implementation in a shorter timeframe. The projects will include both civil works and hydraulic, electrical, automation, and remote control installations, guaranteeing the traceability of the supplied water and the proper management of the service. In this context, Abaqua points out that the desalinated water dispensers currently operating in Ibiza have allowed for the replacement, since their commissioning in September 2014, of more than 200,000 m³ of water previously extracted from aquifers with desalinated water, thus contributing to their recovery. The call for proposals, with a budget of 700,000 euros, covers expenses arising from the contracting of the service, provided they are duly justified.