The central government has approved an investment of 20 million euros to renovate water infrastructures and refurbish three wastewater treatment plants in the Balearic Islands, including the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) of Sa Coma, in Ibiza.
According to the Government Delegation in the Balearic Islands, the Council of Ministers gave the green light this Tuesday to a royal decree that regulates the direct concession of this subsidy to the archipelago, with the objective of improving the management of the integral water cycle.
In the case of Ibiza, the allocation will allow the installation of a backup system for the central pumping of the Sa Coma WWTP, an essential infrastructure for wastewater treatment on the island. The action seeks to guarantee the reliability of the system and avoid incidents in the event of electrical or technical failures, a key aspect on an island with high tourist and seasonal pressure.
The bulk of the investment will be allocated to the reform of the treatment plants of Campos and Muro-Can Picafort (Mallorca) and Es Mercadal (Menorca), as well as the renovation of infrastructures in Sa Marineta (Mallorca).
A strategic facility that already treats more than half of the island’s water flow.
The Sa Coma wastewater treatment plant, located between Ibiza town and Santa Eulària, was officially inaugurated in 2023 and has become a key infrastructure for the island’s sanitation, taking on more than 50% of the urban wastewater generated in the municipalities of Ibiza, Santa Eulària and Sant Antoni. The plant, managed by the Balearic Water Agency (Abaqua), largely replaces the old Jesús treatment plant, now converted into a pumping and pretreatment station.
With a capacity to serve a population of more than 95,000 equivalent inhabitants, the facility incorporates advanced purification systems that exceed the parameters required by European regulations and allow the tourist season to be faced with greater environmental guarantees. Its construction, with an investment of close to 40 million euros, is considered a leap in quality in water management in Ibiza and a central piece in the new maintenance contract for the island’s nine treatment plants.
Conditions of the game
The Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge will execute this item from the General State Budget, while the Balearic Government will have two years to develop the actions once the funds have been received.
The subsidy, of an exceptional nature, is granted to both the Balearic and Canary Islands due to their insular condition and the structural difficulties they present in terms of supply and sanitation. It is part of the Ministry’s strategic plan for the period 2025-2027, which seeks to move towards the good status of water bodies, water security and efficient wastewater treatment.
The Government recalls that the scarcity of surface water resources in the archipelagos requires specific measures to improve their sanitation and purification systems, in a context of climate change and growing water demand.
