For years, untreated wastewater discharges have been one of Tenerife’s biggest environmental headaches.
Particularly in the south.
Now the island has taken another step towards changing that.
Construction has officially finished on the Montaña Reverón wastewater treatment plant in Arona, a project that will become one of the largest treatment facilities in Tenerife once it enters service.
Only the Santa Cruz plant will be bigger.
A €30 Million Project for South Tenerife
The new facility has required an investment of around €30 million and is designed to process:
24,000 cubic metres of wastewater per day
That’s roughly the equivalent of filling 10 Olympic swimming pools every day.
The plant will serve more than 100,000 residents across Arona and San Miguel de Abona, including key tourist and residential areas such as:
• El Fraile
• Las Galletas
• Costa del Silencio
• Las Chafiras
• Amarilla Golf
• Golf del Sur
Basically… a large part of the south’s tourism belt.
Part of a Bigger Wastewater Network
Montaña Reverón is the centrepiece of the new Arona Este – San Miguel sanitation system.
The wider network already includes:
• 48 km of pipelines
• Pumping stations at Guaza, Malpaso, Costa del Silencio, Tamaide and Golf del Sur
• Las Galletas II treatment and pumping facilities
• Las Chafiras infrastructure works
• Ravine channel works in Uchoba
Most of these elements are already completed.
Not Quite Running Yet
Although construction is finished, the plant still needs:
• Final electrical connection works
• Around 100 metres of additional pipelines
• Connection to the San Lorenzo reservoir and discharge system
Operations are expected to begin in the coming months.
Solar Drying System Included
One interesting addition is the planned solar sludge drying system.
The idea sounds complicated but is fairly simple…
Use solar heat, greenhouse effects and ventilation to reduce waste volume naturally.
Less waste. Lower moisture. More efficient operation.
Not a bad use of Tenerife sunshine.
Tenerife Edging Closer to Full Wastewater Treatment
The Cabildo says that once Montaña Reverón enters service, Tenerife will move much closer to treating 100% of wastewater generated on the island.
Currently Tenerife produces around:
62.5 million cubic metres of wastewater every year
Or, if you prefer local-government maths…
About 9,260 Olympic swimming pools.
The island already increased treatment capacity earlier this year with the opening of facilities in:
• Granadilla
• Guía de Isora
Montaña Reverón will become the ninth major treatment plant on the island.
Why This Matters
This isn’t just another infrastructure project.
Untreated wastewater remains one of Tenerife’s biggest environmental issues, particularly along the coast.
According to the report, 28 of Spain’s 29 European Commission complaints relating to wastewater are linked to Tenerife’s coastline.
Which is… not a statistic anyone wants.
The target now is to complete the wider transformation by 2027.
Slowly, Tenerife seems to be getting there.