They aim to achieve 57% coverage through construction projects, community participation, and private agreements
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The city of Córdoba plans to add more than 43,000 household connections to the sewer network over the next two and a half years. According to official data, current coverage reaches 46% of the parcels and the goal is to increase it to 57% by the end of 2027. The plan includes the coordination of public works, private investment, and agreements with property owners and neighborhood centers.
The expansion relies on the reactivation of Bajo Grande Plant 1, which went out of service in 2022 after years of deficient operation. Today, the system depends on Plant 2, which was commissioned that year with a treatment capacity of 10,000 m³/h and a current average flow of 7,500. Both plants are expected to operate complementarily in the short term.
The original plant, inaugurated in 1987, was treating only 1,000 m³/h when it was decommissioned, although its theoretical capacity was 6,000. That situation led to years of polluting discharges into the Suquía River. It is expected that, once rehabilitated, it will resume operations with a flow of 1,500 m³/h and could scale up to 5,000 m³/h if necessary.Hoy el sistema depende de la Planta 2
More capacity, more connections
With both plants operating, the system could reach 11,000 m³/h by December 2027, which would allow for more connections to be enabled. Part of the plan includes incorporating a system that utilizes gases from residual sludge to generate 500 kilowatts of energy. This increase in capacity will be essential to add about 43,700 new connections throughout the city.
About 10,000 connections will come from works related to the paving plan for 800 blocks, which includes neighborhoods in the northeast, southwest, and southeast. In those areas, the networks are designed to operate by gravity, reducing the need for pumping stations. In Villa El Libertador, another 4,500 will be added, of which 3,000 are being carried out by the municipality and 1,500 by the residents themselves.In addition, 7,200 connections in the central-north, south, and northwest will be managed by neighborhood promotion entities. The Municipality seeks to reactivate this mechanism through agreements with neighborhood centers. Furthermore, 13,000 connections are being added in neighborhoods with private works already underway that must be completed to be integrated into the system.
Planta de Bajo Grande de tratamiento cloacal de la ciudad de Córdoba
Improvements in already connected areas
The expansion also includes areas that have already been incorporated into the system after using absorption wells or makeshift plants. Since 2019, 130 kilometers of main collectors have been built, allowing 30 neighborhoods to be connected to the Bajo Grande system. This infrastructure helped deactivate plants that had deficiencies, such as those in Inaudi and Avellaneda.
"The historic sewer deficit has a health and environmental impact; infrastructure can't grow without treatment capacity," said Rover. Meanwhile, Peralta indicated that the goal is to consolidate a "reliable, sustainable, and accessible" system. The municipality emphasizes that networks will not be extended without ensuring their subsequent processing.
Authorities state that the new model aims to avoid idle networks, something that happened in previous administrations when treatment was not guaranteed. Authorities maintain that urban pollution sources have been reduced and the quality of the Suquía's water has improved. Studies conducted after Plant 2 was commissioned show improvements in the river's environmental indicators.
Planta de Bajo Grande de tratamiento cloacal de la ciudad de Córdoba
Long-term projections
Although 57% coverage is expected to be reached by the end of 2027, authorities acknowledge that completing the service will take decades. According to estimates, achieving full coverage in the city and metropolitan area could take another 20 to 30 years. For this reason, the possibility of building a third treatment plant is already being considered.
The need to replace old pipes in different parts of the city is also being analyzed, which will require new investments. Part of the financing could be recovered through the improvement contribution system, although not all works include it. The project also includes relocating the atmospheric truck discharge facility to Bajo Grande.
Currently, this infrastructure operates in a deteriorated building at the "Pozo San Vicente," without efficient controls for proper treatment. Its relocation would improve the inflow of liquids into the system and optimize installed capacity. With these modifications, authorities state that the sewer system will be more robust and operational in the medium term.
