Government pumps another €20 million into the Mar Menor

The new €20 million package will allow eight towns to upgrade sewage systems and support ongoing efforts to restore the Mar Menor

The Spanish government is stepping up efforts to clean up the Mar Menor with a second €20 million package that will improve wastewater and drainage systems in local towns. The money will go directly to eight municipalities in the Mar Menor area, and should reach the councils in the coming days.

This follows a first €20 million round, which already helped fund 52 projects, renewing nearly 20 km of sewer pipes and improving sanitation for around 230,000 people. That initial work is now about 75% complete, and full completion is expected to be around March 2026.

Unlike the first phase, which was funded with European NextGeneration money, this second round comes straight from the Spanish state budget. The overall budget for the recovery plan has also grown, up from €484 million in 2024 to €675 million.

They advised that the focus will be on practical upgrades that will make a real difference in the towns. The upgrades will include separating rainwater from sewage, adding sustainable drainage systems, and using nature-based solutions to improve treatment. They want to try to prevent spills into the Mar Menor and also improve water management, protect the wildlife and make local water networks more resilient.

The need for these upgrades was clear during the recent DANA storm in October 2025. Heavy rain and flooding left residents in towns like San Javier, San Pedro del Pinatar, and Los Alcázares without safe drinking water for weeks while damaged canals and reservoirs were fixed. It showed just how vulnerable local water networks are and why stronger, more resilient systems are so important.

Funding will be split like before. San Javier and Los Alcázares get €3.75 million each, Cartagena and San Pedro del Pinatar €3.5 million each, Fuente Álamo, Murcia and Torre Pacheco €1.5 million each, and La Unión €1 million. Towns have two years to spend the money.

According to Francisca Baraza, MITECO’s commissioner for water and ecosystem restoration, the second round shows the government’s “long-term commitment to improving municipal networks and preserving the Mar Menor.”

With this new investment, total direct funding for local wastewater and drainage projects around the Mar now stands at €40 million.

Image 1: Archive
Image 2: MITECO
Image 3: Mancomunidad de los Canales del Taibilla