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Tagus-Segura water transfer to stay shut for months after major canal damage
Two sections of the aqueduct need urgent repairs, leaving farmers in Murcia facing a tense wait
Farmers relying on the Tagus-Segura Water Transfer are facing months without supply after inspectors found serious damage to two sections of the aqueduct in Guadalajara and Albacete. The Tagus River Basin Authority (CHT) says repairs will take between four and five months and the water simply cannot flow again until the work is done.The trouble came to light on 14 September, when technicians spotted unusual leaks in two spots. One is in the Riánsares section at Almonacid de Zorita in Guadalajara, and the other is in the Talave section at Liétor in Albacete, close to the Fontanar I Hydroelectric Plant. The canal was drained straight away so engineers could get a proper look inside, since, as the CHT put it, "the preliminary diagnosis can only be carried out with the canal empty."
What they found was worse than expected. Sections of concrete lining had crumbled and sunk, and there were cavities in the ground beneath the canal in both locations. Torrential rain over the last two hydrological years appears to have weakened the lining and sped up the damage. Given the risk of collapse, the CHT has ruled out any partial supply until the repairs are finished.
The work itself will happen in stages, starting with demolishing and clearing the damaged sections before full reconstruction, new drainage and waterproofing across the repaired stretch. The budget stands at around €1.2 million and, for now, the official estimate points to supply resuming in 2027.
That timeline has alarmed people who depend on the transfer. Joaquín Buendía, the Regional Minister of Agriculture, warned that the region cannot cope with such a long interruption, especially with the winter vegetable season just getting started. "Southeastern Spain, in general, and the Region of Murcia, in particular, cannot wait five months," he said, urging central government to speed things up.
Lucas Jiménez, president of the Central Union of Irrigators of the Tagus-Segura Aqueduct, shares that concern. He estimates around 65 cubic hectometres of irrigation water and 25 cubic hectometres for human consumption could be affected once losses are accounted for. "We will have to free up whatever budget is necessary and we will have to make an effort," he said, hoping to avoid the repair schedule slipping further.
There is some reassurance for households though. The Taibilla Canals Association has confirmed drinking water supplies remain secure despite the disruption, even as the wider agricultural sector braces for a difficult few months ahead.
Image: wikicommons
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