After years of pressure and repeated environmental warnings, the Confederación Hidrográfica del Guadalquivir (CHG) has agreed to overhaul Matalascañas’ wastewater system. The new Estación Depuradora de Aguas Residuales (EDAR) will be built underground, set back from the coastline and designed to blend into the town. CHG says this option was chosen as the "most favorable" among those studied, mainly to reduce the plant's visibility and fit it better into the urban area.
The decision comes as the current facility, damaged by winter storms and criticized for failing to meet European standards, faces growing scrutiny from residents and regulators. Recent storms have worsened the plant's problems, and local groups warn that its condition threatens the nearby Doñana environment.
The issue extends beyond engineering. The Asociación de Propietarios de Matalascañas has stepped up its campaign, filing complaints with the Ministry for Ecological Transition (MITECO), the Junta de Andalucía, CHG, the Almonte Town Hall, the European Commission and the Doñana Participation Council. The group wants a binding construction schedule, full transparency on the environmental review and clear guarantees that the new plant will not repeat the failures of the 1990s facility. The campaign's reach across several institutions shows the conflict is also political, as Huelva24 reported.
The latest environmental study, funded by the Dirección General del Agua with €466,000, compared four locations and two treatment technologies. That funding covered the preparatory phase of the new EDAR project, information from official communications. The chosen plan, an underground facility using MBBR (Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor) biological treatment, was selected for its low visual impact and smaller environmental footprint; Europa Press reported that it was also considered technically feasible. Other options were ruled out because they would have required longer pipelines, more complicated land purchases or caused greater ecological disruption.
With the location and technology decided, the next step is drafting the Environmental Impact Study, which authorities expect to finish before the end of the year. CHG has already prepared the service specification documents (Pliego de Bases de Servicios) for the construction project, moving the work from solution selection to detailed design. The construction tender will be announced only after the required environmental declaration is granted. CHG describes this as a basic step toward a modern, environmentally sensitive solution for Matalascañas, where wastewater management is especially impressive because of the town's proximity to Doñana National Park.
Meanwhile, local frustration is growing. The current plant, built in the 1990s, has not kept up with demand and has drawn formal criticism from the European Union. Residents have started a petition on Change.org, arguing that the situation puts public health and the protected Doñana environment at risk. Similar grassroots campaigns have appeared in other parts of Spain where infrastructure has fallen behind environmental requirements, as seen in recent disputes in Valencia.
Despite technical progress, the timeline remains a major concern. Official data cited by Huelva24 and MITECO indicate that the new EDAR is unlikely to be operational before 2031, even in the best-case scenario. Residents and environmental groups worry that slow administrative procedures and the lack of a binding schedule could mean more environmental damage before the new plant is finished.
Coastal towns across Spain face pressure to modernize water infrastructure as climate risks and EU deadlines approach. In Matalascañas, residents are still waiting for action despite authorities' emphasis on technical advances and environmental care. Until the new plant is running, regional and national water policy will face questions, while Matalascañas residents' patience continues to run out.
