How Murcia is improving drinking water - by adding 750 tonnes of oxygen

Murcia secures 750 tonnes of oxygen to improve the quality of tap water and reduce pesticides

The regional government has awarded a contract for up to 750 tonnes of oxygen to improve drinking water across Murcia. The investment of nearly €200,000 will cover 2026 to 2028 at the Campotéjar Water Treatment Plant in Molina de Segura, run by the Mancomunidad de los Canales del Taibilla.

A crucial part of treating water is breaking down organic matter. This can be done with several chemicals, including chlorine, chlorine dioxide, potassium permanganate, or ozone. Officials say ozone works especially well because it’s stronger than chlorine, making it very effective at removing harmful substances, including pesticides.

The Campotéjar plant, which supplies water from the Left Bank Canal of the Tajo-Segura transfer to Murcia city and its surrounding area, already uses ozone as its main treatment. The result is cleaner, better-tasting water with fewer microcontaminants. Because ozone is highly reactive and short-lived, it has to be produced on site from high-purity oxygen using an electric discharge, the supply now secured through this new contract.

The water management team also plans to roll out the system to other plants. Work is expected to be tendered soon to add ozonation at Lorca, and a similar project is being drafted for the Sierra de la Espada plant, also in Molina de Segura.

Read also: Three more convictions for illegal wastewater dumping in the Mar Menor

Image: Mancomunidad de los Canales del Taibilla