The Provincial Council restores a new forest fire prevention reservoir for Marina Baja

The Alicante Provincial Council has invested nearly 40,000 euros in the repair of the Font del Molí reservoir in Finestrat, an infrastructure that firefighters will use to refill trucks and extinguish fires in the area.

The Vice President and Deputy of Water Cycle, Ana Serna, visited the reservoir with the mayor, Juanfran Pérez Llorca. This reservoir had been out of service for more than two years and now, thanks to the Provincial Council's investment, it is back in operation. The project had a total cost of 48,400 euros, 80% of which was funded by the provincial institution.

"Thanks to this investment, we have restored an old reservoir that supplies a hydrant, and we are doing so in a challenging time due to the high risk of fires," Serna pointed out, emphasizing the "importance of being prepared for any contingency that may arise."

The old concrete reservoir, which had a crack, has been replaced by a new cylindrical reservoir made of galvanized metal sheets, measuring 8.55 metres in diameter and 2.51 metres in height, allowing a stored volume of up to 130 cubic metres of water. This metal reservoir is located within the basin of the old reservoir and is semi-hidden and protected by existing walls. The new water intake point for fire trucks is a hydrant with a 100 mm outlet in a buried cast iron chamber with a square key to prevent vehicle damage and vandalism.

"The objective of the Provincial Council is to assist municipalities in executing projects that, at times, would not be possible without our financial contribution," stated the First Vice President, explaining that the new reservoir could also be used if needed by the Finestrat irrigation community.

Serna stressed that "at this moment, it is more important than ever to invest in water-related projects because we are experiencing a period of hardship in the province of Alicante, which requires us to make a greater effort in this type of project," while also noting that "all the investments we make and the good use we make of such an important resource as water validate us to continue claiming what belongs to us."