The agreement, unanimously approved by the Plenary of the provincial institution and pending ratification by the Puente Genil City Council this Thursday, July 30, will allow the use of a maximum volume of 923,552 cubic meters of reclaimed water per year. This resource will be used for drip irrigation, in accordance with the administrative concession granted by the Hydrographic Confederation of the Guadalquivir.
The agreement establishes a regulatory framework for the obligations and responsibilities of each party, serving as a fundamental instrument for the execution of infrastructure and support for the application submitted by the Miragenil Irrigation Community. The Provincial Council commits to the correct provision of the service, which it will assume after the infrastructures executed by the Irrigation Community are handed over to the Puente Genil City Council.
Salvador Fuentes, who also chairs Emproacsa, highlighted that this agreement represents a "great lever for transformation" and is the first of its kind in the province, demonstrating the priority of hydraulic policy for the government team. He emphasized the work of the Irrigation Community for this tertiary use of wastewater project, which provides sustainability to an essential olive-growing area for Puente Genil.
The mayor of Puente Genil, Sergio Velasco, described the action as "transformative" for the agricultural sector, allowing the use of a stable resource, reducing dependence on other water sources, and improving the viability and competitiveness of agricultural holdings. He stressed the importance of institutional cooperation, mentioning the shared objective with the Junta de Andalucía (Regional Government of Andalusia) to support farmers and modernize irrigation.
Velasco thanked the irrigators for their commitment and the coordinated work between the Junta de Andalucía, the Provincial Council of Córdoba, EMPROACSA, and municipal services. He highlighted the innovative nature of the agreement, the first of its kind in the province, which will benefit more than 180 landowners.
For his part, the president of the Irrigation Community, Pablo Gutiérrez, detailed the work carried out to achieve the project, which will allow the irrigation of the lands of Miragenil.
The Miragenil Irrigation Community will undertake the execution of the necessary infrastructure for tertiary treatment, storage, pumping, and distribution of water. The aid requested from the Junta de Andalucía amounts to 16,330,698.03 euros, intended to finance the project under the PARRA Plan.
Once the works are completed, the facilities will be transferred to the Puente Genil City Council. Emproacsa will be responsible for the operation, maintenance, and quality controls up to the point of water delivery. From there, the Irrigation Community will be responsible for the distribution and use in agricultural plots.
The City Council will provide 5,021.51 square meters of municipal land and authorize crossings and parallel alignments of pipelines through municipal public roads. The agreement, with a duration of 20 years, does not include financial obligations for the municipal coffers, as the costs will be borne by the Irrigation Community and financed by the grants ultimately awarded.
The text also foresees that, in the future and with the necessary authorizations, the City Council may use the tertiary treatment for municipal purposes, such as watering green areas or street cleaning.
