Water from southern Gran Canaria for Las Palmas—that was the idea of Matías Vega, the former president of the Gran Canaria Island Council. And so emerged a majestic hydraulic structure in Gran Canaria, capable of handling a massive flow of water. It now operates at a fraction of its potential, reflecting the shift in the island's water priorities. In Las Palmas, when water reached homes once a month before desalination plants opened, it came from the hard work of southern Gran Canaria.
The Trasvasur canal, one of the largest hydraulic projects in the Canary Islands, was designed with a colossal ambition: to be able to transport a flow of up to 140.000 cubic meters of water. A figure that underscores the magnitude of a project designed to move enormous volumes of liquid from the dams in southern Gran Canaria.
However, despite its impressive capacity, the operational reality of the Trasvasur is very different. Currently, the canal moves a much smaller amount of water, a reflection of the passage of time and the evolution of water management strategies on the island. The emergence of water treatment plants and changing consumption needs have meant that this monumental infrastructure now operates at a fraction of its maximum potential, now focused on agricultural supply rather than human consumption.
