Desalinated Water to Reach Ciutadella’s City Centre

New pipeline to connect the Artrutx plant with the Son Blanc water tank

What does it consist of?

Until now, the Ciutadella desalination plant could only supply the area of Cala en Bosch. This new pipeline to the Son Blanc water tank extends the water supply network to bring treated drinking water to the city centre of Ciutadella, thus optimising an infrastructure that has been underused since its construction.

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Data

PROJECT TITLE IN THE CALL
Project for the pipeline from the Ciutadella desalination plant to the Son Blanc reservoir
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
ITS2016-024
Total project amount
583.630 €
ITS granted amount
583.630 €
Executed amount
382.051 €
Call year
2016
Budget implementation status
Executed
Purpose
Environment
Budget execution
Executed: 65.46%
Last updated
26.09.2023

The project

Menorca’s mains water supply network has suffered from structural limitations for years, especially in the area of Ciutadella. The desalination plant built to increase the island’s supply barely covered the area of Cala en Bosch, as it was only partly connected to the Artrutx water tank. Through these works, the aim is to effectively extend its reach to more sectors of the population.

The plan consisted of installing a treated water pipeline from the desalination plant’s pumping station to the Son Blanc water tank. Two main sections have been planned out: the first, westwards to the s'Hort de ses Taronges trail; the second, southwards, connecting directly to the water tank.

The works are intended as the initial phase of a more extensive network, and are part of a broader objective: to strengthen the island’s water autonomy, reduce pressure on overused groundwater and to make better use of desalinated water production capacity. The investment leaves the infrastructure ready for future expansion.

Beyond the direct impact on urban supply, the plan paves the way for further improvements to water management, such as artificial groundwater recharge or the use of recycled wastewater, as set out in the Balearic Government’s water planning strategies.