Castile and León opens €3 million water supply network for eight Zamora municipalities

New water network for eight municipalities

The Regional Government of Castile and León inaugurated a drinking water supply system in Morales del Vino on 30 September 2026. Built with a direct investment of €3 million, the project delivers potable water to 20,000 residents across eight municipalities around the provincial capital of Zamora. The initiative was developed through financial and technical collaboration between the regional executive, the Provincial Council of Zamora, and the City Council of Zamora. Under the established agreement, the regional government will manage and operate the supply facilities for the next 25 years. Regional officials presented the project as part of an effort to improve living conditions, foster local employment, and encourage population retention in rural areas.

Transition from local boreholes

The newly connected infrastructure replaces the prior reliance on local groundwater wells and boreholes, which frequently suffered from water quality deficiencies and seasonal volume shortages. In the northern suburban belt of Zamora, the system distributes water to La Hiniesta, Roales del Pan, and Valcabado. In the southern belt, it connects Villaralbo, Moraleja del Vino, Arcenillas, Morales del Vino, and Tardobispo. The updated network provides a continuous supply capacity exceeding 4,300 cubic meters per day. This daily volume ensures a stable water supply throughout the year without seasonal interruptions.

Speaking at the Salón Multiusos in Morales del Vino, regional president Alfonso Fernández Mañueco outlined the origins of the project.

The diagnosis was simple: there were water problems in the outskirts of Zamora. We set to work, side by side, together with the Provincial Council, always attentive to the rural world and town councils, to resolve the fundamental problem and ensure there was sufficient, quality water for all people who live and work here or come to spend time in the area.

Administrative cooperation and municipal support

The presentation brought together regional and local representatives, including the mayor of Morales del Vino, Carmen Lorenzo, and the president of the Provincial Council of Zamora, Javier Faúndez. Regional minister of the environment and energy María González and director general of infrastructure and circular economy Cristina Frías were also present. Officials stated that inter-administrative cooperation is essential for smaller municipalities that lack the financial and logistical resources to manage the complete water cycle on their own. Mañueco stressed that the completion of the network fulfilled commitments made to local authorities in previous years.

These infrastructures guarantee drinking water for these municipalities. The regional government and the Provincial Council have created effective water policies adapted to our reality because there are many municipalities that cannot face the challenges of the water cycle on their own, and we have created a framework of cooperation.

Additional provincial water investments

The Morales del Vino network forms part of a broader series of provincial water supply initiatives coordinated by the regional government. In Toro, the regional administration is funding the construction of water catchment facilities, pumping stations, and a drinking water treatment plant with an investment of €3.25 million. In northern Zamora, an expansion and consolidation project for the Mancomunidad de Benavente y los Valles has been awarded for €2.7 million. Additional water supply infrastructure is currently in planning stages for the Monfarracinos industrial park and the municipality of Coreses.