The city of Valencia has launched the tender for construction of a stormwater retention basin in the district of Natzaret The investment is around €12 million including VAT, and construction is expected to take 18 months from the signing of the preliminary works protocol. The aim is to temporarily store the first, particularly polluted runoff during heavy rain and then send it to the treatment plant EDAR de Pinedo to reduce discharges into the estuary of the Turia .
According to the city council, the structure is planned next to the old Turia riverbed and will have a usable capacity of around 3,000 cubic metres. The councillor responsible for the municipal department Ciclo del Agua, Carlos Mundina, says the infrastructure will significantly reduce the number and pollutant load of overflows during heavy rainfall. The measure is part of preparations for the future Parque de Desembocadura, whose ecological quality is to be protected by reducing combined sewer overflows.
Much of Valencia has a combined sewer system, in which rainwater and wastewater flow through the same pipes. During heavy rainfall, runoff can exceed the capacity of downstream treatment facilities, leading to controlled overflows. The new basin is intended to retain the first, particularly polluted flows until they can be sent to the EDAR de Pinedo. The city expects this to reduce pollutant discharges around the Turia estuary and help prevent local flooding.
The Junta de Gobierno Local approved the project in the spring and has now granted the exemption allowing the Ciclo del Agua department to tender the construction work. The city council says the technical plan includes a location beside the old riverbed and a connection to the existing network. Details of operation, automation and control during extreme events will be finalised in the construction design.
Residents’ groups in Natzaret have repeatedly insisted, during public presentations of the project, that the Parque de Desembocadura should not compromise flood protection. The city says the retention basin is designed as a complementary protective measure. The city intends to discuss with the neighbourhood the impact on the surrounding area during construction and the precise land footprint.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).