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Environmental tanks prevent 100,000 cubic metres of run-off entering the Mar Menor
The Campo de Cartagena tanks were around half full after Thursday’s intense rainfall
Heavy rain across the Campo de Cartagena sent around 330 million litres of water into the Mar Menor on Thursday September 17, while environmental tanks captured around 100,000 cubic metres of storm run-off before it could reach the lagoon.
Los Alcázares recorded the highest rainfall total at 63 litres per square metre, followed by Pozo Estrecho with 36.2 litres and Torre Pacheco and La Maraña with around 30 litres per square metre.
The regional government said permanent monitoring systems allowed officials to track the response of the main ravines and assess how much water was reaching the Mar Menor.
At 10am on Friday, the Albujón ravine was carrying 784 litres of water per second after reaching a peak of 1,123 litres per second overnight. La Maraña recorded peaks of up to 5,600 litres per second, while Las Colonias reached maximum flows of 5,630 and 4,300 litres per second during the two main periods of rainfall.
The 14 environmental tanks installed across the Campo de Cartagena are designed to capture and regulate the first run-off from heavy rain. This water can contain higher concentrations of sediment, pollutants and urban run-off.
Together, the tanks can hold up to 200,000 cubic metres, or 200 million litres, during periods of intense rainfall. They were around 50% full following Thursday's storms, meaning approximately 100,000 cubic metres of run-off had been retained.
The regional government said the measures help reduce the direct flow of freshwater, sediment and pollutants into the Mar Menor, although it acknowledged that run-off from the ravines and the high level of the Quaternary aquifer remain two major pressures on the lagoon.
Officials are also continuing to monitor water quality at 20 strategic points around the watershed, nutrients at 11 points in the lagoon and groundwater levels through a network of piezometers.
The regional government has called for further action from the central government, including improvements to the Albujón pumping system and measures addressing groundwater and nitrate pollution.
Image: CARM
