Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development, Ramón Fernández-Pacheco, announced the construction of Three new wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) in the Vélez Almería region with an investment of 10.6 million euros. Specifically, he referred to the treatment plants in the municipalities of María, Vélez-Rubio, and Vélez-Blanco.
During his visit to the municipality of María, in addition to meeting with the mayor and the mayors of Vélez-Rubio and Vélez-Blanco, he inspected Renovation work on the supply network to eliminate water leaks. This ongoing action is supported by a grant from the Andalusian Council of 373,616.39 euros, funded by Nextgeration.
The councilor emphasized the government’s «commitment» to María and the entire Vélez region with the tendering of these «highly requested hydraulic infrastructures, which will enable the municipalities to ensure compliance with European water purification regulations.» These new treatment facilities directly benefit More than 10,000 residents of the three municipalities.
Fernández-Pacheco highlighted the importance of this infrastructure within the strategy of the Andalusian Government in favor of wastewater purification and efficient use of water resources, especially in a province like Almería, where water resources are scarce. «With these treatment plants, we strengthen our commitment to environmental care and water sustainability, while offering real solutions to the challenges facing our rural communities,» said Fernández-Pacheco.
The Minister of Agriculture emphasized that this action is part of the Andalusian government’s «roadmap,» whose policies will continue to be a «priority.» «In the 2025 budget, we allocated 555 million euros to water policies, of which 44.7 will be invested in the province of Almería, a 19.5% increase from last year,» said Fernández-Pacheco.
With this «investment effort,» the Andalusian Government reaffirms its commitment to sustainable development and the protection of natural resources.
About María
During his visit, the councilor also verified other actions of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development in the municipality, such as improving roads through The Itinere and Roadside Plan with an amount of 848,275, including the rural road from Fuente to Perca and Cañadas, or support for local development through the Leader Plan for nine projects in the municipality, such as a playground or a multipurpose room, totaling 385,764 euros.
Additionally, the councilor informed the mayor that the city of María had been selected as a beneficiary of a grant for projects for the digitization of supply systems, totaling 82,457.61 euros. With this grant, aimed at improving efficiency and detecting leaks, breaks, and early leaks in municipalities with less than 20,000 inhabitants, the resolution was published in December of last year by the Council.
María’s mayor, José Antonio García, thanked the councilor for the Andalusian Government’s support: «Never before has the Andalusian government invested so much in our municipality.» García highlighted the investments by the government of Juanma Moreno in terms of water «to optimize every drop of water» and in rural roads, actions that were «essential for the territorial structuring.»