Generalitat Backs Down Over Flood Risk as Concrete Barriers Removed from San Fulgencio Drainage Canal

The Valencian Government has ordered the removal of four large concrete structures obstructing the Reina irrigation canal following a public protest by San Fulgencio Mayor José María Ballester, who warned that the temporary works could put residents at risk of serious flooding.

Less than 24 hours after the mayor publicly raised his concerns, heavy machinery moved in on Tuesday morning to remove the concrete caissons intended to support a temporary access bridge serving the Clarios battery factory near the N-332 in Guardamar.

The structures had been installed as part of arrangements for a major drainage improvement project, but Ballester warned that they significantly restricted the canal’s capacity to carry away rainwater, potentially causing flooding in San Fulgencio.

The mayor had written to the Generalitat’s Director General of Water, Lourdes Pérez Berná, on 30 October, warning that the proposed access arrangements could cause the irrigation channel to overflow during periods of heavy rainfall.

He highlighted the particular danger posed by the town’s underground drainage network, which passes beneath several streets in San Fulgencio and could become overwhelmed if water backed up downstream.

The dispute escalated when Pérez Berná visited the construction site on Monday to meet representatives of the local irrigation syndicate without informing the mayor. Ballester nevertheless attended and reiterated his objections.

Despite reportedly facing pressure from colleagues within his own Partido Popular to moderate his criticism of the regional administration, the mayor maintained his position.

The San Fulgencio Water Union had scheduled an emergency meeting for Wednesday to demand the removal of the structures, but the Generalitat’s decision made further action unnecessary.

Ballester welcomed the outcome, emphasising that although the wider drainage project was essential, temporary construction arrangements must not compromise public safety.

The controversy has revived memories of the devastating September 2019 DANA floods, when water overwhelmed the N-332 embankment between Guardamar and San Fulgencio.

The flooding forced the evacuation of the Alannia campsite, left thousands of hectares of agricultural land submerged for weeks and caused extensive damage across the Vega Baja, particularly in Daya Vieja, Dolores and Almoradí.

San Fulgencio itself was forced to deploy sandbags to protect homes and streets from rising floodwaters.

The wider drainage scheme, representing an investment exceeding €10 million, aims to improve the capacity of historic irrigation and drainage channels to discharge floodwater into the final stretch of the River Segura.

Originally designed under the previous Botànic administration, the project has continued under the current Valencian Government, with construction awarded to the public company Tragsa.

More than €5 million has also been invested in improvements to the river’s final stretch, including additional drainage infrastructure designed to prevent floodwaters becoming trapped behind embankments.

While the removal of the concrete barriers has resolved the immediate dispute, Ballester insists that future construction arrangements must be coordinated with local irrigation authorities to ensure that essential flood prevention works do not inadvertently create new dangers for residents.

SEE ALSO: San Fulgencio Mayor Demands Removal of Temporary Bridge Over Serious Flood Risk

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