Alexis Alonso: “We Want CAAF in Costa Calma and Water to Be Public”
“The CAAF has to come into Costa Calma and the water must be public.” Those were the words of first deputy mayor Alexis Alonso, echoed by mayor Alejandro Jorge, during an interview on La Voz de Fuerteventura on Radio Insular. They highlighted the stark disparity in water prices that residents of Costa Calma endure compared with other parts of the municipality.
The price in Costa Calma is almost €5 per cubic metre, versus €1.30‑€1.40 elsewhere – a gap the officials described as “unsustainable”. The situation is worsened by frequent breakdowns and the risk of prolonged outages.
All water‑related infrastructure is privately owned, the mayor noted. The desalination plant sits in a green zone, while the wastewater treatment plant lies outside municipal boundaries, complicating the council’s ability to act. The council announced months ago that it had launched a tender for the water service, which is now being processed.
“The Canary Islands Government and the Island Water Consortium are being asked to transfer the necessary authorisations and assistance so we can provide the proper service to citizens, given the risk of supply shortages,” the mayor explained.
In parallel, the council has asked the Cabildo to clarify which permits actually exist and to authorise a CAAF intervention.
Legal status of the current system
Alonso stressed that the first step is to determine the legality of the existing system, because, as he put it, “it has no authorisation beyond self‑consumption… yet it is selling to third parties.”
The municipality argues that the quickest, safest solution is to create a public network originating from La Pared, leveraging the recently commissioned Guerime reservoir.
“There is a reservoir… a 200‑metre network that reaches the La Pared urbanisation, and with an additional four kilometres of pipe we could extend it to Costa Calma and install desalination modules,” he explained.
Reception of urbanisations “as they are”
The council also highlighted a structural advance: the ability to receive new urbanisations without forcing developers to retrofit 30‑40‑year‑old installations to current standards. This became possible after amending the “Plan B”.
“We will take them exactly as they stand, and the municipality will assume the urbanisation works,” Alonso said, adding that comprehensive works on paving, lighting, water supply and sanitation can now be carried out, ensuring compliance with current law.
Cleaning the palm grove and cable theft
The council detailed an upcoming tender for the comprehensive cleaning of green areas and the palm grove of Costa Calma, expected to be published before year‑end.
“The budget will be around €1.3 million,” Alonso noted, a higher figure than initially planned due to accumulated deterioration. The contract will also cover ongoing maintenance in tourist zones such as La Pared, Morro Jable and Costa Calma.
Demolition of illegally occupied buildings is also underway.
“We will start demolishing because there is a focal point… the sanitary conditions are unacceptable,” the mayor said, confirming that a perimeter has been established and many occupants have already left the area.
The municipality reported a massive theft of cables in green zones and has drafted a project worth nearly €400,000 to renew the network and restore road and pedestrian safety. Temporary lighting will be installed while works proceed, and the camera system will be reinforced.
Progress was also reported on the future sports complex in Costa Calma.
In La Lajita: IES, CAE… and the partial‑plan development
When asked about educational infrastructure, the mayor dismissed the regional government’s proposal to expand the Costa Calma primary school into a secondary school as “not serious”, noting that “they haven’t even reached the technical stage or produced a project.”
He reaffirmed the council’s commitment to the IES in La Lajita, calling it “essential… the rest is just smoke‑screen a year and a half before the elections.”
The land parcels needed for construction have not yet been approved by the Canary Islands Government, but they will become viable once the planned re‑parceling is completed.
Regarding the future Specialised Care Centre, the mayor said:
“We have the Canary Islands Government’s approval… we expect the tender for drafting the project and functional plan to be issued before the end of the year,” which would allow construction works to be tendered in 2027.
Both the IES and the CAE in La Lajita are top priorities for the council, and the mayor and Alonso intend to discuss them with senior Canary Islands officials, with whom they have already requested a meeting.
On the remaining land of the La Lajita 2000 partial plan, the municipality is driving an external company to manage the re‑parceling project, enabling public consultation and allowing owners to submit objections. The urbanisation project, essential for tendering construction and unlocking housing development, is also moving forward.
“We are making progress. If the documents are delivered by the end of the year or early next year and everything goes well… we could start issuing licences in 2026,” Alonso explained.
The mayor added that “we have never been this close to the development of the La Lajita 2000 Partial Plan”, noting that they already have the Island Water Council’s blessing for the future wastewater treatment plant and are working with several private developers to align their projects with technical and legal requirements.
He emphasized that meetings are being held individually with entrepreneurs, not through the (now dissolved) Compensation Board, because the municipality wants to reach agreements within the current legal framework.
Closing remarks
Alonso concluded that the council will “do what no one has ever done in the municipality or in Costa Calma.” Mayor Alejandro Jorge highlighted the political stability achieved through the PSOE‑CC‑AM agreement, stating:
“Institutional stability is key… today we can focus on work because that agreement has been signed.”