Tajo-Segura water transfer and management disputes

The Tajo-Segura water transfer is currently suspended following structural failures identified in September at the La Bujeda and Liétor sites. Repairs are expected to continue until mid-February 2027. To manage authorized water volumes, the Central Exploitation Commission has authorized a temporary solution through December 31, involving the use of the canal’s lower section to move water into the Campos del Paraíso and Alarcón reservoirs.

Technical experts have proposed using water from the Alarcón reservoir to substitute volumes that cannot circulate through the damaged aqueduct, with the intent to return the water to the Júcar system once repairs are complete. However, the regional government of Castilla-La Mancha has stated it will legally challenge any transfers authorized beyond the three-month exceptional period ending December 31, 2026, arguing that exceptional measures cannot indefinitely bypass regulations.

Concurrently, local disputes regarding water management have emerged in Castilla-La Mancha municipalities. In Caudete, officials have denounced the regional government for failing to return 25% of the water canon collected during 2025. In Mota del Cuervo, local groups are calling for water price reductions due to an emergency caused by damage to the Tubería Manchega infrastructure, which has forced the municipality to rely on local resources.