The Ministry cuts the maximum allocation of the Tajo-Segura again and authorizes 12 hectometres for October
The Tajo-Segura aqueduct will be closed again, this time for three months, due to
infrastructure repair and maintenance work, as reported this afternoon by the Ministry for the Ecological Transition, when giving an account of the meeting of the Central Exploitation Commission. Teresa Ribera’s department, as in previous situations, authorized
a discharge of 12 hectometres charged to the demands of October in the Segura basin, 8 less than the maximum provided by the exploitation rules at the current level of reserves at the head of the Tagus. The cut will be in charge of the irrigation of the Levant, since
most of this volume will be used to supply the population.
During the meeting of the Commission, held electronically, the representative of the Tagus Hydrographic Confederation has communicated that it is planned to carry out maintenance and repair of breakdowns during the next three months. During that time,
Naturgy also plans to carry out maintenance work, “So it is necessary to stop the La Bujeda pumping station for approximately ten weeks,” says the Ministry statement.
This temporary closure of the aqueduct has been calculated considering the supply of water from the Tagus that remains in the Segura basin from previous derivations, about 90 hectometres, since otherwise there may be supply problems for supplies and irrigation.
Although the main drive of La Bujeda is the one that will be affected,
the irrigators believe that this will affect the operation of the rest of the canal. The pumping of La Bujeda is part of the system of exploitation of the headwaters, and serves to raise water from Entrepeñas and Buendía to the aqueduct.
It so happens that the Transfer was closed for six months –between October of last year and March of the current one– due to the repair of some leaks in this same reservoir, which is part of the starting point of the canal.
The Commission, on the other hand, has verified that as of October 1, the system was at Level 3 of exceptional hydrological situation. It is likely that in January it will enter Level 2 with the increase in reserves. He also indicated that in the Segura basin there is a volume of 89.67 hectometres of transferred water, available for supplies and irrigation.
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