Ciutadella’s Desalination Plant Recovers Its Optimum Treatment Capacity

Works on Ciutadella’s desalinated water plant reinforce the response to consumption peaks in high season

What does it consist of?

The Ciutadella desalination plant has undergone engineering works to ensure the proper functioning of the reverse osmosis treatment system. This action reinforces the supply of drinking water in one of the most populated tourist hotspots in Menorca, which is key to meeting rising demand.

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Data

PROJECT TITLE IN THE CALL
Sea water desalination plant in Ciutadella, Menorca
LOCATION
Minorca (Ciutadella de Menorca)
Entity submitting the PROJECT
Govern de les Illes Balears
Entity that executes the project
Agència Balear de l'Aigua i la Qualitat Ambiental (ABAQUA)
Project code
ITS2019-159
Total project amount
396.581 €
ITS granted amount
396.581 €
Executed amount
388.262 €
Call year
2019
Budget implementation status
Executed
Purpose
Environment
Budget execution
Executed: 97.9%
Last updated
25.09.2023

The project

Water remains a limited resource on islands such as Menorca, especially in municipalities like Ciutadella, where a high population density and peak tourism coincide for a large part of the year. In response to this pressure on water resources, the desalination plant has emerged as essential infrastructure.

The work, carried out by the Balearic Water Agency (ABAQUA) and funded by sustainable tourism tax, was aimed at correcting several deficiencies detected at the facility. These included an abnormal increase in salt passing through the reverse osmosis membranes, malfunctioning of the energy recovery system, failure of pre-treatment dosing pumps and poor performance of sand filters.

These incidents compromised the quality of the water produced and posed a risk in times of high demand. The intervention has restored the system's optimal capacity, improved energy efficiency and extended the service life of the components. Desalination, based on low-pressure technology, remains key to the archipelago's water security.

A total of €396,581 was invested in the project. The Ciutadella plant is thus part of a broader strategy to reinforce water infrastructure in the Balearic Islands, where climate change and seasonal pressure is forcing the diversification of quality water supply sources.