Playa Honda's storm tank is protecting the Mar Menor and preventing flooding

The €5.6 million storm tank holds 8,200 cubic metres of rainwater and even has a community space with a playground

In Playa Honda, people are noticing a real difference when heavy rain arrives. The facility, which has been operational for a year but was only officially opened by Murcia's regional president, Fernando López Miras, this February 23, has cost the local coffers €5.6 million and is designed to stop freshwater and sediment from reaching the Mar Menor, protect the town from flooding, and create a space the community can enjoy.

This storm tank holds 8,200 cubic metres of water, roughly the equivalent of three Olympic swimming pools. López Miras highlighted the main goals of the project, saying, “With this storm tank we fulfil three fundamental objectives: to prevent rainwater with sediment from reaching the Mar Menor, to protect residents from flooding, and also to create a park and a social space in Playa Honda.”

The storm tank has already proven its worth. Since it started operating in 2025, it's filled multiple times during heavy storms and DANAs this year, but the streets of Playa Honda haven't flooded.

Better flood protection for the town

The project has also upgraded the local stormwater system. Three new collector sections with diameters of 800, 1,000 and 1,200 millimetres have been built, totalling 1,543 metres, and over 178 metres of drains and grates have been installed to collect rainwater, which also prevents the streets from flooding.

On top of the tank, a new leisure area has been created, including a children's playground. This gives the community a space to enjoy while the infrastructure works to protect the town at the same time.

The €5.6 million investment was funded with 80% support from the European Regional Development Fund and 20% from regional government funds. The Playa Honda tank joins a network of 26 environmental tanks in the Region of Murcia, 14 of which are in the Campo de Cartagena, that can prevent up to 200,000 cubic metres of freshwater from entering the Mar Menor during heavy rain.

López Miras also announced that the regional government will increase total tank capacity to 315,000 cubic metres through an €8.3 million investment, with three new tanks currently under construction in Lorquí, Alcantarilla and Las Torres de Cotillas, adding 70,000 cubic metres to the network. This expansion will continue to reduce flood risks and protect both towns and the Mar Menor.

Finally, the mayor of Cartagena, Noelia Arroyo, reminded residents that the town is continuing to improve the area with other projects. She spoke about a €220,000 investment in an ecological promenade at Playa Honda linking to Villas Caravaning, which residents already enjoy.

Read also: Three more convictions for illegal wastewater dumping in the Mar Menor

Image: CARM