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Published: 08.01.2015

Improving Water Availability through Wastewater Treatment

This project, implemented over a 10-year period, improves available resource through the capture and treatment of urban and industrial wastewater flows and returning them for direct or indirect re-use in irrigation. A key element to the project’s success was the enaction of policy and legislation that enforces the “Polluter Pays” principle, enabling waste water treatment and recovery to be operated on a cost recovery basis. The project required the construction of 97 advanced wastewater treatment plants, 350km of sewer, and the introduction of a robust system to monitor industrial discharges.

At a project cost of US$917 million, 75-80% of which received co-funding from European Funds, it achieved 100 million m3/year of wastewater return flows that were previously unusable. It was also able to make a connection to 99% of urban areas to sewers and substantially increase the river’s quality for the people of Murcia and beyond.

The 2030 WRG FY23 Annual Report is available now. Learn more about key highlights of the year.