Tajo-Segura water transfer faces legal and technical challenges

The Tajo-Segura water transfer remains suspended due to structural failures detected in September at the La Bujeda and Liétor sites. While repairs are underway with an estimated completion date in mid-February 2027, the Central Exploitation Commission has authorized a temporary solution to transport authorized volumes until December 31. This plan involves using the lower section of the canal to move water, which will then be stored in the Campos del Paraíso and Alarcón reservoirs.

To prevent the loss of 85 cubic hectometers (hm³) of authorized water, technical experts and irrigators have proposed a provisional measure: using water from the Alarcón reservoir (Júcar) to substitute the volumes that cannot currently circulate through the damaged aqueduct. This water would be returned to the Júcar system once the repairs are finalized.

However, the regional government of Castilla-La Mancha has warned it will legally challenge any water transfers authorized beyond the three-month exceptional period established by law, which expires on December 31, 2026. The regional administration maintains that exceptional authorizations cannot be used to indefinitely bypass regulations regarding the transfer of volumes between hydrological years.