By Staff Reporter

Copyright theleader

TORREVIEJA. The Torrevieja Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) has accused the Popular Party (PP) of playing “political fiction” in the debate over a potential new desalination plant, stressing that the location of the infrastructure has not yet been determined. According to PSOE, the final decision will be guided by technical criteria and the Hydrographic Confederation, not partisan speculation.

For the Socialists, the discussion is not about politics but about ensuring water security in the face of climate change. Party spokesperson Bárbara Soler emphasized that experts and the European Union have repeatedly warned of increasingly frequent and severe droughts in Spain. In this context, desalinated water should be seen not as a substitute for water transfers, but as a necessary complement.

Soler underscored that water transfers are already being restricted for environmental and sustainability reasons, and clinging to the past does not address future challenges. “To deny this reality is to turn a blind eye,” she said, adding that desalination forms part of a broader European strategy for water resilience across Mediterranean countries.

The PSOE also responded to criticisms about the environmental impact of brine discharges. They highlighted that current plants operate under strict European and Spanish legislation, are far more efficient and sustainable than those built two decades ago, and are integrated into national adaptation plans. “Presenting desalination as an environmental threat is misleading and outdated,” Soler noted.

Beyond securing supply, the Socialists argued that desalination represents a strategic investment. It generates jobs, strengthens the agricultural sector, guarantees urban supply, and shields communities from the uncertainty of climate change. Rejecting such infrastructure, they said, is shortsighted and undermines the stability of families, farmers, and businesses alike.

The PSOE also questioned the PP’s urban planning model, pointing to reports from supply companies that warn of insufficient water to serve the large-scale developments promoted by the conservatives. “Without the first desalination plant—which they once opposed—Torrevieja would not even have the resources to sustain today’s growth,” they said.

For the Socialists, the debate is about ensuring a sustainable future. “Without irrigation water, there is no agriculture; without agriculture, there is no economy or employment. Water is too serious an issue to be treated as a partisan weapon,” they concluded. “A desalination plant is not a punishment—it is a lifeline for this land and for the generations to come.”