The Government Board approved the contract with Emalsa on Thursday, which will mobilise €35.5 million until 2029 to carry out 84 actions in the city's hydraulic network.
The Government Board of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria has given the green light on Thursday to the contract with Emalsa, an agreement that will allow the mobilisation of €35.5 million until 2029 to carry out 84 actions for the improvement and modernisation of the hydraulic infrastructures of the Gran Canaria capital.
The mayor, Carolina Darias, and the councillor for Presidency, Finance, Modernisation, Human Resources and Water, Francisco Hernández Spínola, presented the details of the agreement, which includes an initial investment of €11.4 million during this year 2026.
Darias described the contract as “the largest investment effort made to date” in hydraulic infrastructure in the city, and noted that it continues the Strategic Plan for the Integral Water Cycle 2024-2033.
The mayor explained that the initiative aims to achieve “the greatest structural transformation of the city's hydraulic system”, covering all phases of the water cycle: production, distribution, sanitation, purification, discharge control, digitalisation, and adaptation to climate change.
Of the total €35.5 million, €24.1 million will be executed progressively until 2029, the duration of the contract, which may be extended by mutual agreement of the parties.
A significant part of the investment will be allocated to the renewal of the sanitation network, with 70 actions for the replacement and improvement of collectors in numerous neighbourhoods across the five districts of the city.
Benefited areas include Reina Mercedes, Las Coloradas, Alcaravaneras, Vegueta, Arenales, Escaleritas, Guanarteme, La Isleta, Tamaraceite, Costa Ayala, and El Fondillo, among others.
The programme also includes projects aimed at advancing towards the goal of zero discharge, such as the construction of new pumping stations, pumping systems, and storm tanks in the San José and Lady Harimaguada areas.
Additionally, improvements are planned for the Barranco Seco Wastewater Treatment Plant and the implementation of new energy infrastructures to increase the sustainability of the hydraulic system.
The contract establishes a coordinated management model between the City Council, Emalsa, Geursa, and the Technical Water Unit. In this framework, Emalsa will draft the construction projects for the actions determined by the City Council, while Geursa will tender and award the projects.
Hernández Spínola highlighted that this planning reaffirms the municipal government's commitment to renewing hydraulic infrastructures, ensuring a more efficient and sustainable service for citizens.
In the last three years, the City Council has promoted several initiatives in this area, such as the approval of the Strategic Plan for the Integral Water Cycle (2024-2033), the Water Supply Regulation, the municipal ordinance regulating the sanitation and discharge service, and the Multiannual Tariff Plan for the services of the Integral Water Cycle for the years 2025-2029.
With this new investment, the Gran Canaria capital aims to modernise hydraulic infrastructures that in many cases are decades old, which are crucial for ensuring supply and sanitation in a city of over 380,000 inhabitants.
The works will be tendered and executed progressively over the coming years, aiming to minimise inconvenience to residents and coordinate the work with other planned urban actions in the various neighbourhoods.
The City Council expects that the first projects may go out to tender in the coming months, once the contract is formalised and the corresponding construction projects are drafted.
Citizens will be able to follow the progress of the actions through the official channels of the City Council and Emalsa, where they will be informed of deadlines and possible impacts on traffic or services in each area.
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