La alcaldesa destaca la importancia de rebajar el acuífero para la recuperación del Mar Menor

The Mayor of Cartagena, Noelia Arroyo, emphasized that reducing the water table level through actions on the Campo de Cartagena aquifer is essential for the recovery of the Mar Menor, during her meeting with the new Third Vice President of the Government and Minister for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge (MITECO), Sara Aagesen. The Mayor noted that the inflow of freshwater with high nitrate levels remains the primary problem of the lagoon and that the solutions proposed so far have not been sufficient to eliminate the threat.

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Following the meeting held on Friday, February 28, at the Government Delegation between the minister and the mayors of the region, Arroyo praised the initiatives for renaturalization and ecosystem restoration, but considers them insufficient if the root of the problem is not addressed, which lies in the nitrate inflow from the aquifer.

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“I have thanked the Vice President for the work being done on the surface to prevent further contamination of the aquifer and the effect of runoff. A good job is being done by MITECO with regional and municipal collaboration, and that should be appreciated, but we believe it is essential to act on the aquifer, which continues to supply freshwater with nitrates and maintains a very high water table level,” she stated.

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The Council of Cartagena has advocated for several strategies to curb the deterioration of the Mar Menor, such as the urgent need to expand the pumping station at the Rambla del Albuj�n to reduce the flow of freshwater with nitrates reaching the lagoon, as well as other measures to intercept the water and prevent it from flowing into the sea.

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“We want to see faster progress in the recovery of water from the aquifer for treatment and subsequent use in agriculture to ensure irrigation without risks,” Arroyo said, noting that so far, no one has provided more effective solutions than those outlined in the Zero Discharge Plan designed by the Ministry, “but any step in that direction will be welcomed.”

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The Mayor highlighted to the minister the effectiveness that actions such as the removal of biomass on affected beaches are having on the lagoon’s balance, a task undertaken by the Autonomous Community and municipalities like Cartagena to prevent new eutrophication events and sludge generation. Arroyo also mentioned the sludge removal project from the Cartagena coastline of the Mar Menor being carried out by the Cartagena City Council with funding from the autonomous community.

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