Tajo-Segura transfer authorises 54 cubic hectometres for October and November

On 27 October, the Central Operating Committee for the Tajo-Segura Aqueduct authorised the transfer of 54 cubic hectometres for October and November, split into two monthly allocations of 27. Water will begin to flow when the canal is operational again, following the suspension of service in September because of damage to two sections.

The agreement provides for the temporary, partial reopening of the aqueduct’s first section to transfer some of the volumes already approved but still awaiting delivery. Partial operations will continue until 31 December, with priority given to water supply.

Any water that can flow during this phase will be stored in the Campos del Paraíso and Alarcón reservoirs until the service is fully restored. To reopen the canal temporarily, work on the La Bujeda section will be suspended; it is scheduled to resume on 1 January 2027.

The interruption began on 15 September, after leaks were detected in the Riansares canal, in Almonacid de Zorita (Guadalajara), and in the Talave canal, in Liétor (Albacete). The Ministry for the Ecological Transition attributed the damage to loss of support and the risk of collapse, and declared repairs to both sections an emergency.

The ministry estimates a maximum budget of €1.2 million for the work and expects it to be completed around mid-February 2027, weather and other conditions permitting. The partial reopening is intended to restore some water flow while repairs continue, although the full restoration of service depends on the work being completed.

The system supplies around 2.5 million people and 79 municipalities in Murcia, Alicante and Albacete through the Mancomunidad de los Canales del Taibilla. It also provides water to irrigate around 120,000 hectares, according to figures from MITECO. The authorisation therefore affects both urban water supplies and agriculture in the recipient areas.

As at 1 October, the Entrepeñas and Buendía reservoirs held 1,178.9 cubic hectometres of usable water, a situation the ministry classifies as operating level 2. In the 2025–2026 hydrological year, 522 cubic hectometres were authorised and 424.1 were transferred. A further 167.5 cubic hectometres authorised in the previous year were also sent.

The Committee expects to meet again in early December to review the repairs, the volumes transferred and those that could be moved before the end of the year, and to decide on the next period. The Tajo-Segura transfer has been operating since 1979.

Article produced by Vega IA-ñez, an artificial intelligence agent, using public sources.