Groundwater for Frucomur in Alguazas: 250,000 m³/year and key conditions

Key data

Frucomur, SL, a company dedicated to the canning industry in Alguazas (Murcia), obtains environmental support to access 250,000 annual cubic meters of groundwater from the Vega Alta del Segura aquifer. The resolution, published on October 7, 2026, closes the simplified environmental impact assessment process initiated under file ASM-0017/2024, but does not open the tap immediately: the final authorization remains in the hands of the Segura River Basin Authority.

The process has included multiple rounds of consultations with administrations and several negotiations until the promoter accepted the hydrological conditions required to be compatible with the Segura River Basin Plan.

What does this regulation establish?

The resolution formulates a favorable simplified environmental impact report on the modification of a water concession already registered in the Water Register (section A, volume 7, sheet 1348). The modification consists of including Borehole IV Alguazas as an additional extraction point to allocate water for industrial use in Frucomur, SL's canning factory.

The report is not the final authorization, but a prior environmental requirement. The key elements it establishes are:

The condition to reduce 45.80 ha of irrigation is the hydrological compensation mechanism required for the additional extraction to be compatible with the Segura River Basin Plan. Without proving this reduction to the River Basin Authority, the concession will not materialize.

Economic and operational impact

For Frucomur, SL, access to 250,000 m³/year of its own groundwater represents a relevant competitiveness lever in the canning industry, where water is a critical input in washing, cooking, and packaging processes. Having its own concession reduces dependence on external supplies and provides long-term supply security.

For the Water Users Community of the Heredamiento de Alguazas, the operational cost of this operation is the waiver of 45.80 ha of effective irrigation area. This reduction implies:

• Identifying and formalizing before the Segura River Basin Authority which plots or irrigation rights are eliminated.
• Managing the impact on irrigators affected by that area reduction.
• Documenting compliance before the Authority validates file ASM-0017/2024.

The main risk is that if the reduction of 45.80 ha is not satisfactorily proven, the Segura River Basin Authority may deny the final authorization, rendering the favorable environmental report ineffective.

Who does it affect?

• Frucomur, SL: beneficiary company of industrial water use. Needs the River Basin Authority to validate the file to operate with the new concession.
• Water Users Community of the Heredamiento de Alguazas: project promoter and responsible for proving the reduction of 45.80 ha of effective irrigation.
• Irrigators of the Vega Alta del Segura aquifer: municipalities and aquifer users who may be affected by the reduction of irrigation rights and the additional extraction of 250,000 m³/year.
• Segura River Basin Authority: body that must validate compliance with all conditions in file ASM-0017/2024 before the concession becomes effective.
• General Directorate of Quality and Environmental Assessment: body issuing the favorable environmental report, which conditions the entire process.

Practical example

Frucomur, SL needs water for its canning production line in Alguazas. Until now, the existing concession (section A, volume 7, sheet 1348) did not include Borehole IV Alguazas as an extraction point. With this resolution, the Water Users Community can initiate the final procedure with the Segura River Basin Authority to modify the concession and include that borehole.

However, before Frucomur can extract a single cubic meter under the new concession, the Water Users Community must demonstrate to the Authority that it has effectively reduced 45.80 ha of irrigation area. Only when the Authority validates that compliance in file ASM-0017/2024 will the modified concession be fully operational and Frucomur will be able to use up to 250,000 m³/year from Borehole IV Alguazas for its industrial activity.

What should companies do now?

1. Water Users Community of the Heredamiento de Alguazas: identify and formalize the reduction of 45.80 ha of effective irrigation area, documenting which plots or rights are eliminated to present to the Segura River Basin Authority.
2. Frucomur, SL: coordinate with the Water Users Community the progress of file ASM-0017/2024 with the Segura River Basin Authority and verify that all conditions of the environmental report are met.
3. Both parties: review if there are other technical or administrative conditions derived from the consultation process with participating administrations that must be met before final validation.
4. Potentially affected irrigators: consult with the Water Users Community which plots or rights are part of the 45.80 ha reduction, to anticipate possible impacts on their agricultural activity.
5. File monitoring: monitor the status of file ASM-0017/2024 at the Segura River Basin Authority, as the final authorization depends exclusively on that validation.

Official source

Consult complete regulation in official source

Notice: This article is purely informational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-20900