Santa Bàrbara approves photovoltaics for drinking water wells

The Santa Bàrbara City Council has definitively approved the works project “Photovoltaic installation for self-consumption of municipal drinking water supply wells – Phase I and II”, an action aimed at supplying solar energy to the wells that feed the municipal water network. The agreement, adopted by the Local Governing Board in the session of August 6, 2026, is published in the Official Gazette of the Province of Tarragona on September 4, 2026, with the official reference CVE 2026-08215.

An investment in sustainability and supply

The project, drafted by industrial engineer Marc Pino Curto, has a budget of 129,499.62 euros, to which 27,194.92 euros in value-added tax (VAT) must be added. The action is part of the municipal strategy to reduce energy dependence of the drinking water supply infrastructures and lower their operating costs.

The photovoltaic installation under a self-consumption regime will allow the municipal wells, a critical infrastructure to guarantee the water supply to residents, to be powered by renewable energy. Therefore, the initiative combines two objectives: environmental sustainability and the security of the public service.

Processing and official publication

The definitive approval agreement ends the administrative route. Against the resolution, interested parties may file:

• Contentious-administrative appeal before the Contentious-Administrative Court of Tarragona, within a period of two months starting from the day after notification.
• Appeal for reversal, optionally, before the same body that issued the agreement, within a period of one month starting from the day after notification.

The announcement, electronically signed by Mayor Josep Lluís Gimeno Vegué on September 4, 2026, has been published in the provincial gazette and on the corporation’s electronic headquarters, in compliance with the provisions of the agreement.

Impact for residents

The definitive approval unlocks the execution of a work that reinforces the resilience of the drinking water service of Santa Bàrbara and reduces the municipal energy bill. For residents, the photovoltaic installation at the wells translates into a more stable and sustainable supply, while the municipality advances in the energy transition and in the containment of operating expenses for basic services.

Source: Official Gazette of the Province of Tarragona, no. September 4, 2026, p. 1-1 (official reference: CVE 2026-08215).