Report from the Federación de Asociaciones de Vecinos y Cívicas de Xàbia/Jávea
On Thursday18th June ’09, the Federation of Urbanizations and just a few others* were invited to a meeting with the Alcalde Eduardo Montfort and the Councillor for Urbanismo Pepa Chorro concerning the Sewerage ´Project´. Councillor Doris Courcelles attended to help with translating into English.
The Alcalde opened the meeting by regretting the circulation of alarmist and incorrect emails on this issue, and that these had been of a political nature. Federation President Tim Ladd explained that the Federation is as non-political organisation but was now in communication with many more Urbanizations than its founding Associations about this important subject. The ISVH* were also much concerned about the veracity of the numbers so circulating and the alarm thereby generated.
It was accepted that due to their widely differing infrastructure, urbanizations would have varying opinions about the implementation of Wastewater Treatment for their Urbanization. All are obviously very interested in the cost implications.
The Alcalde stated that at present there is no estimate of costs but the intention would be to spread such costs over 40 years, by means of a ‘concession to the contractor(s)’.
The Alcalde agreed that the requirements for each urbanization or sector would need to be assessed to establish their respective parameters of needs, topography and size.
Connection costs from each house (even through other house owners plots) to the street will need to be included as part of the study/evaluation. At present it seems that house owners will have to pay their own connection costs, as in Teulada-Moraira, with the option of either a one-off payment, or more likely as a charge on their individual local property tax spread over a number of years.
TheTown Hall stressed that at present this is not a Project as such, but more of a Statement of Intent. This ‘Intent’ now requires a Study, following which there will be an official procedure called a “Competition Dialogue”. The ‘Dialogue’ would be held with some large companies such as Acciona to enable a view to be taken on the most positive elements proposed. These elements would be distilled into a ‘Defined Project Contract’ for which companies would be asked to submit their offers in an open tender, duly published. The Town Hall would determine the result-proposal and a pleno would need to agree an ‘Implementation Project’. All this could take up to 2 years from now.
The list of issues/questions as raised by the Federation was accepted as a useful base on which to explain the procedure through the Agenda 21 Foro, of which there will be a special meeting on Tuesday 30 June at 8pm., in the Casa de Cultura. This meeting would be conducted in castellano. Another meeting in English may also be convened.
The Town Hall stated that alternatives, such as ´a modern septic tank conforming to European standards´ would not be evaluated in the ‘Study’ against the expensive Sewage Network for the municipality. The capital and running costs of such modern tanks were decried by some present. (Independent evaluation is needed to confirm this assessment.)
However, later in the Study procedure, it may be accepted that some Urbanisation/Sectors need not be included in the Municipal Sewerage Network if there were excessive implementation-costs for such areas. Progress will be reported to the Agenda21-Commission (on which the Federation president and vice-president both have a seat !)
The Alcalde and the councillor for Urbanismo will answer further questions from the Federation of Urbanizations after our Federation Meeting of Sunday June 28 th., and the Agenda 21 Foro on the 30th
*Federation represented by Tim Ladd (president) Geoff Bannister (secretary) and Gert Bouwkamp (El Rafalet).
Others present: Alberto Roche (interventor del Ayuntamiento), Angel Ballester (El Tosalet), Michael Andrews (president of ISVH (Balcon al Mar), Marcos Gisbert (presidente de la Asociación de Pequeños Constructores) and Raül Bover I Bolufer, who is lawyer for both of the latter (for the constructors and for the ISVH Association).
The Federation of Urbanisations put forward their Concerns and Questions (see below). For more info: moc.liamg|selaudisersaugaegawes#moc.liamg|selaudisersaugaegawes
(For more on the Sewerage project issue as a whole see: Xabia Sewerage
Xàbia - Jávea / Red de Saneamiento Sewerage Network
Key Concerns and Questions
Necessity/Alternative Options
- The scheme has been presented as being both a longstanding EEC directive requirement and to provide work to help local construction firms.
- Latest thinking predicates far more localized solutions.
- What evidence is there of contamination?
- Have improvements/replacements for older septic tanks been considered and costed if there is any contamination at present?
- Could a supplier of Septic Tanks be asked to make a presentation?
- Where else in the Marina Alta has such a scheme been undertaken?
- What consideration of planning blight in an already depressed housing market?
Procedures
- Has a procedural timetable been agreed, and if so, where are we?
- Is this scheme being considered within the new PGOU?
- What constitutes an urbanization and what about individual, more isolated homes?
- Tertiary treatment of current wastewater is needed already to reduce coastal contamination.
- The existing plant can hardly cope with peak high season input.
- Expansion and tertiary treatment be the priority stages?
- How will any treated water be distributed/allocated?
Finances
- How is this scheme to be financed?
- By general local taxation, grants, subsidies and individual households?
- Has there been any consideration of the relative % ?
Project Management
- This is a huge scheme as presented.
- It requires professional independent management to avoid cost and timetable over runs. Has this been considered? If yes, where are we?
Information
- As most of those affected will be non-Spanish speaking, information needs also to be regularly supplied in English, German and possibly Dutch.
