Spanish Government approves plan to transfer water to Barcelona
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By h.b. - Apr 19, 2008 - 11:30 AM
The plan has been harshly attacked by the regions of Valencia and Murcia which want their own transfers from the Ebro river.

The cabinet on Friday approved the plans to pipe water from Tarragona to Barcelona, which the Government continues to insist is not a ‘trasvase’ or transfer. During the election campaign the Socialists said they were against such transfers, and now they describe the construction of a new 60km pipe between Tarragona and Barcelona, to take drinking water to the latter as ‘a water conduit’.

The plan has a budget of 180 million € and is expected to be ready in the Autumn. The water being moved from Tarragona is being taken from the mouth of the Ebro river by a system which is already in place.

Speaking to the press after the cabinet meeting, Deputy Prime Minister, María Teresa Fernández de la Vega, said that the new measure was ‘temporary and sustainable’. She said that it was the best solution to the problem as ‘it did not involve taking an extra drop of water from the Ebro river’, and that it would be used until a new desalination plant for Cataluña came online. She said it would be ‘unforgivable and irresponsible’ not to ensure water for Barcelona which was in an emergency situation, which meant that without water taps in the city could run dry in October.

The new plan has not been welcomed by either Valencia or Murcia, where the PP controlled regional governments have joined forces to demand their own new water transfer pipe be laid from the Ebro river. Doubts have also been raised by the Socialist region of Aragón, which considers the measure goes against the Regional Statutes.

(Environment story)

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