Water management in southern Gran Canaria is facing a period of uncertainty following the recent decision by the Island Water Council. The council has ruled that several grants intended to finance hydraulic works and improvements to agricultural irrigation systems, corresponding to the call for proposals launched in 2020, have expired. This administrative decision, formalized in a recent decree, leaves strategic projects without financial backing. These projects aimed to modernize the water storage and distribution infrastructure in key municipalities of the southern region.
The measure directly impacts long-established entities in the area. The Heredad Principal de la Villa de San Bartolomé de Tirajana loses the concession that would have allowed it to finance the installation of a solar pumping system, a technology designed to optimize electricity consumption on its farms. Likewise, this entity will also be unable to carry out the planned repairs to the intake of its water reservoir, an intervention necessary to ensure the efficient collection of water resources. Similarly, the Presa de la Cumbre Irrigation Community loses the funding earmarked for the modernization of its distribution network, a crucial project to prevent water losses during transport to the farms.
The technical reason for closing the application file lies in the applicants' failure to comply with the administrative requirements. Although the projects were initially selected to receive funding, the regulations required the submission of additional technical documentation and the establishment of a bank guarantee to ensure the completion of the works. After several years and the expiration of the deadlines established in the public tender specifications, the Island Water Council has declared the concessions expired due to the lack of the required documents and financial guarantees.
This administrative outcome represents a significant obstacle for the agricultural sector in the south of the island. In a context marked by scarce rainfall and the urgent need to adapt the countryside to more efficient and sustainable irrigation methods, the loss of this funding hinders the investment capacity of communities and estates. The technical and financial effort required for these projects is now compromised, forcing those responsible for agricultural entities to seek alternative private financing or wait for future calls for proposals that will allow them to update infrastructure that, in many cases, is decades old.
