Federico Ramos in the project to improve the drinking water treatment system of Monforte de Lemos
Today, the Secretary of State for the Environment, Federico Ramos, inaugurated the works for extension and improvement of the water treatment system to ensure the supply of drinking water of sufficient quantity and quality for Monforte de Lemos (Lugo). The plant will enter operation in 2014 after an investment of more than 6.1 million euros.
Federico Ramos was accompanied at the ceremony by the State Government delegate in Galicia, Samuel Juárez; by the Regional Minister of the Environment, Territory, and Infrastructure of the Xunta de Galicia, Agustín Hernández; by the chairman of the Lugo Provincial Council, José Ramón Gómez; by the mayor of the town, Severino Rodríguez; and by the general manager of the state enterprise Acuanorte, Isabel Pérez Espinosa, among other authorities.
The Secretary of State highlighted the importance of the “collaboration between public authorities to achieve goals, remedy deficiencies, and improve the quality of life of citizens with examples like this project”. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and the Environment (MAGRAMA) through the state-owned enterprise Acuanorte and with the addition of European funds, covers 50% of the cost of this project (more than 3 million euros), to which must be added the 2.5 million from the Xunta regional authority Aguas de Galicia (40% of the total) and more than 610,000 euros contributed by the Monforte de Lemos City Council (almost 10% of the total investment).
Federico Ramos emphasized that these projects to extend and improve the drinking water system of Monforte de Lemos “will not only guarantee an optimum water supply, but will service and provide a response to the future increase in the water demands of the town’s population and its economic activities”.
Components of the New Supply System
The water supply system in Monforte de Lemos will consist of a new drinking water treatment plant (DWTP) in Ribasaltas. It will have a capacity of 230 litres per second or 828 cubic metres per hour. It will be located on a plot adjacent to the existing plant and will draw water from the Freixó weir.
It will also be provided with a new treated water balancing reservoir in Ribasaltas with a capacity of 3,200 cubic metres, a pumping station (Ribasaltas - O Cornado) with a flow of 900 cubic metres per hour, a 351-metre intake pipeline (Ribasaltas - O Cornado) and additional regulation and control works.
This project is a response to the significant deterioration of the existing drinking water treatment plant in Ribasaltas. “A new plant had to be built to ensure the necessary quality levels to supply the town of Monforte de Lemos”, explained the Secretary of State.
The San Vicente drinking water treatment plant cannot be put back into use to supplement the drinking water treatment system because it is significantly impaired after being abandoned for several years. Lastly, the existing pipeline network also has deficiencies that prevent proper operation of the system. It generates service irregularities especially at times of peak demand.
The joint venture TEDAGUA - Constructora San José selected to develop the project and execute the works recently began the preliminary tasks. The Ministry, through Acuanorte, will transfer operation to the Monforte de Lemos City Council on termination of the works.