The delegate of the Government of Spain in Andalusia, Pedro Fernández, insisted on Wednesday that the decision is based on «technical reports» and «not a political decision» that the Guadiana Basin Authority (CHG) has favorably informed the concession in the process, at the request of the municipalities in the Pedroches region, while also reporting negatively on the execution of the works related to the scope of the management’s aspiration; pumping station; There is a section of roads for promotion and access.
Speaking to journalists in Granada, Fernández explained that «there is a connection to ensure the supply of drinking water in Sierra Norte de Córdoba, especially in the area of Sierra Boyera, water that comes from Marsh to Colada».
«In 2022, as a responsibility of the Andalusian Government, which has not been carried out, the Government of Spain was able to declare of general interest to carry out the laundry with Sierra Boyera, with the drinking water treatment plant, from Pantano de Colada,» he said, emphasizing that «it was carried out in 2022, the government’s responsibility».
In this sense, he said that «the Andalusian Government, in parallel, fundamentally, which is the one responsible, together with the delegation, to ensure that this water is of the highest quality, the investment had to be made in the drinking water treatment plant».
In this way, the government delegate indicated that «a work has been proposed that is the same as the one already carried out by the Government of Spain, and from a technical point of view, the competent authority in this matter has offered the fact that this water can go from La Colada to Sierra Boyera to supply around 80,000 inhabitants of Sierra Norte».
«From there, the technical part, for economic efficiency and others, an action that already exists, carried out by the government of Spain, was considered not to be duplicated, it makes no sense,» Fernández said.
Therefore, «from now on, I don’t know what the Andalusian Government will do, because what the confederation says is that this work already exists, the Government of Spain has already done it,» he said.
Denial
Specifically, as reported by the CHG, it was rejected due to the redundancy of the infrastructure, so the designed works duplicated existing facilities, such as the floating execution during emergency actions, which is evident in the current project and would be futile.
The emergency action has managed to complete and close the water circuit that already meets the water use of the La Colada tank, as it was found with the 7,191,107 cubic meters derived with the mentioned help from the uninterrupted reservoir from March 2023 to April 2024.
Excessive oversizing, so the project envisions a flow of 600 liters per second (L/S), which is considered inappropriate. The impact on the environment, from the execution of new actions in the public water domain and its protection zones, the service, and the police, is an unnecessary burden that could negatively affect the ecological status of the water body and the associated ecosystem.
In addition, there is economic inefficiency, as the execution of this infrastructure would entail an additional cost of over eight million euros, spending on works by duplicating already operational systems. And reducing the water quality, so the proposed new intake would capture weaker water, which is currently in use.
The resolution considers authorizing the medium voltage electrical connection to provide the already executed lift station during the emergency situation.
This rush, which will also allow the supply of the floating pump guns to be carried out according to the technical alternative proposed by Endesa Distribution, which connects with the existing airline called Belalcaza2, according to the project for the completion of the works dated in November 2022.