Massive €82m climate change investment by Torrevieja

Torrevieja town hall and Agamed, the town’s water management firm, are attempting to get ahead of the fight against climate change with an historic investment of €82 million.
An ambitious programme is being developed to end localised flooding that has become even more problematic in Torrevieja in recent years.
The Agamed Board of Directors, chaired by the mayor of Torrevieja, Eduardo Dolón, this week approved an Investment Plan for the city of Torrevieja worth 82 million euro. The programme will take action to stop the flooding that has become an increasing problem in the town and, as a consequence of climate change, has been happening more often and to a greater degree. These floods pose both a human health and material risk to the city.
The investment in the scheme will not result any increase in water rates for residents of Torrevieja.
The new investment agreement implies the extension of the contractual relationship between the town hall and Agamed, which ends in 2028, until the year 2048, that is, 20 more years to pay off the cost of the works to be carried out without having an impact on the municipal coffers or on the rates of the water bills of the residents of Torrevieja.
In addition, 6 million euros will be added for social actions, among which is, for example, the Agamed Social Fund to help pay the water bill of vulnerable members of the community, 33 million euros in drinking water renovation funds and 17 million euros to the sewerage renovation funds.
The urgent flood protection measures can be carried out thanks to the fact that AGAMED is a mixed economy company, in which the private partner will provide the necessary financing to be able to carry out the most urgent short-term actions for the municipality worth 43 million euros. The remaining investment will be progressively executed until 2048, the deadline for the completion of the project.
It is hoped that by the time the project is complete, Torrevieja will see an end to the flood problems that have plagued parts of the town and surrounding urbanisations.
In recent years there is more rainfall here, both in the number of episodes of rain and in its intensity, so the future trend is likely to continue to see an increase, as has been happening since 2010. It is also significant that in the last three years alone the number of weather episodes with rains exceeding 100 litres per square meter has tripled (rainfall episodes upwards of 60 litres per square metre are classified as storm episodes). In addition, since September 2019 Torrevieja has suffered three significant flood damage incidents, evidencing the urgent need for storm protection infrastructures.
Works will be carried out mainly at those points that experience the worst flooding, such as, in Avda. Europeos, junction with N-332, Calle Cupido and surroundings of Ronda José Samper, Avda. Rosa Mazón, Avda. Belgium, Avda. Cortes Valencianas, in the Torretas and Punta la Víbora, Avda. Delfina Viudes, Avda. de la Estación, Urbano Arregui with the crossing of the Acequión, in Rambla Juan Mateo, María Parodi, Calle Ramón Rubial, Calle Mar Menor, among others.