Life changed on this Atlantic island during the middle of the 70’s. The development of this volcanic land was awakened at the hand of naval engineer Manuel Díaz Rijo (La Vegueta, 1927), his brother, lawyer José Díaz Rijo and also naval engineer Javier Pinacho. Out of their proposals, spring of 1965 would become a historical date, a crucial moment:
“… sea water, transformed in to potable water, commenced circulation via the supply network of Arrecife. The simple action of turning the tap on had ended the stress produced by the shortage of potable water on the island”.
From that date onwards, “the sea was transformed in to Lanzarote’s great reservoir”.
Naval engineer and main instigator of the first desalination plant in the Canary Islands and Europe.
The construction of large storage tanks Maretas del Estado was completed, located in Arrecife and destined to collect scarce rainwater. They were built by order of King Alfonso XIII.
The water extracted from the Famara massif comes to Arrecife, through the corresponding channels, whose perforations had begun years before. However, the system proved insufficient given the growing consumption of the population of Arrecife.
Prior to and during those dates, in each Lanzarote home the sky was looked upon awaiting scarce rainwater with the hope of filling traditional aljibes (water tanks and cisterns) where the water was stored, once it had flowed from the roof tops and surfaces blanched for this purpose.
Campesando guindando agua en su aljibe
As these practices were insufficient, Lanzarote received from time to time shipments of drinking water from Gran Canaria and Tenerife aboard the famous “correíllos”, ships with tanks for this purpose. Once unloaded in the port of Arrecife, the barrels were transported in camels and cars or pumped to a tank located in the commercial dock and where the neighbors could resort to supply. With the “aguadores”, the distribution system was completed.
Aguador con su carro
Descarga de agua del “correíllo”
During the first few years of this decade, the United States of America inspired de development of desalination with a project to be put in the place of various experimental plants. The incident produced in D. Manuel Díaz Rijo a concern, as he described himself in his discourse as an Academic in Lanzarote: “(…) consider Lanzarote as a great boat anchored in the Atlantic, amongst its machinery would be included a desalination plant of sea water”. A concept which was passed over to the insular and State authorities, but was not backed up at that point in time. However, he did not cease in his endeavour and despite not receiving the support of the public initiative, he continued to explore the adventure from a private aspect.
D. Manuel Díaz Rijo, en 1995
The company Termoeléctrica de Lanzarote S.A. was born that purchased the electrical headquarters of Arrecife. Almost parallel to this, Termolanza is formed by means of public tender, awarded the service of potable water supply for the Lanzarote capital. Following these steps, the promoters initiate a series of contacts in London and New York with the objective of defining and deciding which would be the most adequate installation for Lanzarote, resulting in a managerial agreement between Termolansa, Westinghouse & Burns and Rose.
Imagen corporativa de Termolansa
The Cabinet authorises Termoeléctrica de Lanzarote S.A. the installation of the first desalination plant in Europe. It is decided that it would be located in the known area of Punta Grande (Arrecife), as it was close to the sea, as well as meeting another series of necessary determinants. And Termolansa commences the work in order to build the necessary distribution network of potable water in Arrecife and the first regulating tank in the area of Maneje.
Construction begins and the first foundations are laid of what will be the first water-treatment plant in the Canary Islands and Europe and one of the first in the entire world known as a dual plant, producing water and energy.
The bulk of the machinery for the desalination plant reaches Lanzarote. The unloading and assembling was not without many problems which were resolved with imagination and determination. At the end of the year, the first productions were obtained of “sea water transformed in to potable water”.
In the spring of this year, potable water started to circulate via the Arrecife distribution network. The desalination plant produced on a daily basis at full performance 2.300 m³ and 1.500 kw.
