The Andalusian MP for the Partido Popular of Almería, Manuel Guzmán, has highlighted the important boost in water issues that has taken place in Almería with the government of Juanma Moreno, a province where the culture of water and respect for it are part of the DNA of the people of Almería and where every drop is used to generate wealth and opportunities.
Manuel Guzmán stressed that while others have been caught unawares by the drought, the Andalusian Government has been working for the last five years and investing in water infrastructures, allocating 8 out of every 10 euros to support investment in the productive sectors, rural development and water policies.
Moreover, in this legislature dubbed by Juanma Moreno as «the legislature of water», the PP Government has already increased the water budget by more than 40%, doubling public investment compared to 2018 and making water works, for the first time in history, the engine of public works in Andalusia with more than 1,500 million euros invested in water policies.
«In the last five years, up to 1,097 works have been carried out in the eight provinces, compared to the 33 works pending from the State, 17 of which are strategic for the development of Andalusia and which continue to sleep the sleep of the just. In addition, we have executed 76 works that were the responsibility of the State because for us, the Andalusians come first, and we have managed to add 252 hm3 more new water to the system (182 hm3 for supply and 70 hm3 of regenerated water that did not exist before)», he explained.
With regard to the province of Almería, Manuel Guzmán emphasised that Juanma Moreno’s government has been committed to the Poniente Almeriense region, carrying out reclaimed water projects such as the works at the Roquetas de Mar and El Ejido tertiary treatment plants, which have resulted in 14 hm3 of reclaimed water for this region.
To this, Guzmán added other actions that are already underway, such as the Bobar tertiary treatment plants in Almería city, Vera, Cuevas del Almanzora, Mojácar, Huércal-Overa, Adra and Balerma.
«All these works are going to provide 44.5 hm3 of water, with a horizon of 2027. It will be possible to reuse 80% of the treated water in my province and the same will happen in the rest of Andalusia, making us leaders in reclaimed water very soon. We are ambitious and, as the councillor, Carmen Crespo, has said, we have set ourselves the objective of reusing 140 hm3 of treated and reclaimed water during this legislature. We have already managed to regenerate 75 hm3, which means that we are on the right track», he assured.
On the other hand, the PP MP regretted that «with the PSOE, the only thing that was regenerated in Andalusia was corruption after corruption» and stressed that «in just three years the Government of Juanma Moreno has done six times more than in the last eight years of the PSOE in Andalusia».
Finally, Manuel Guzmán called on the Spanish Government to fulfil its obligations in terms of water, to help the communities and local administrations and not to continue punishing them just because of the political colour of whoever is in power.