The Town Council has awarded two major infrastructure contracts worth a combined €4.04 million, with plans to improve wastewater treatment in Portinatx and traffic circulation in Sant Miquel de Balansat.

The Sant Joan de Labritja Town Council has approved the award of two major infrastructure projects in northern Ibiza, committing a combined €4,043,346.94 to a provisional wastewater treatment plant in Portinatx and a new road in Sant Miquel de Balansat.

The decisions were approved during an extraordinary council meeting on Thursday, 15 October 2026, marking an important step towards addressing wastewater management and traffic circulation in two of the municipality's main population centres.

The Portinatx wastewater treatment plant has a contract value of €1,971,947.94 and an execution period of seven months. The new road, known as Vial J, has been awarded for €2,071,399, with a planned construction period of 14 months.

Both projects have now reached the contract award stage, although their construction schedules will depend on the completion of the necessary formal procedures.

Portinatx to Receive a New Provisional Wastewater Treatment Plant

The first project involves constructing a provisional wastewater treatment plant, known in Spanish as an Estación Depuradora de Aguas Residuales (EDAR), in Portinatx.

The facility will be built on a municipally owned plot on Carrer de ses Formigues, with an investment of €1,971,947.94.

The plant will be modular, temporary and removable, providing an interim wastewater treatment solution while plans for a permanent facility progress.

The definitive wastewater treatment plant is a separate project under the responsibility of the Balearic Water and Environmental Quality Agency (ABAQUA).

Capacity to Serve Almost 5,000 Population Equivalents

The provisional facility will have a nominal treatment capacity of 4,990 population equivalents, a technical measure used to calculate wastewater treatment demand.

This does not mean the plant will necessarily serve exactly 4,990 residents. The figure represents the equivalent wastewater load the installation is designed to process.

The new infrastructure is intended to improve the quality of treated wastewater and reduce the environmental impact of discharges in the Portinatx area.

Its design includes:

• Deodorisation systems to minimise unpleasant smells.

• Acoustic insulation to reduce operational noise.

• Environmental monitoring and control measures.

• Modular equipment that can be removed when the permanent solution becomes available.

The project has received favourable reports from the Balearic Directorate-General for Coasts and Coastline and the Directorate-General for Water Resources.

The coastal authority has recognised the provisional, necessary and urgent nature of the project, highlighting its expected contribution to improving the quality of treated wastewater.

Before the facility can begin operating, the council must comply with the relevant environmental conditions, establish a monitoring and control plan and obtain the necessary sector-specific authorisations.

When Will the Portinatx Treatment Plant Be Built?

The project has a planned execution period of seven months.

However, this period does not automatically begin from the date of the council's approval.

Under the reported contract conditions, the construction period starts on the day following the signing of the formal site handover and setting-out verification record, unless that document establishes another starting date.

No confirmed completion or opening date has been announced.

Sant Miquel's New Vial J Road Awarded for €2.07 Million

The second major infrastructure project is the construction of Vial J, a new road intended to improve traffic circulation through Sant Miquel de Balansat.

The contract has been awarded to Hermanos Parrot S.A. for €2,071,399, including VAT, with an execution period of 14 months.

The new road will connect Carrer d'Eivissa with Carrer des Port, creating an alternative route for vehicles that currently pass through the centre of Sant Miquel.

The project includes opening the new road, urbanising the surrounding area and installing the basic services required under municipal planning regulations.

A New Traffic Route for Sant Miquel

The council expects Vial J to divert some vehicle traffic away from the village centre, allowing circulation to be reorganised.

The project is also intended to support future improvements to pedestrian access and the possible pedestrianisation of parts of the central area.

Plans for the road have been under consideration for decades. The route was included in municipal planning as early as 1977, although the current project has required more recent administrative procedures.

In November 2024, the council approved the initial plan and allocated funding to advance the works.

The project subsequently involved land acquisition procedures affecting ten plots, with formal occupation documentation progressing during 2026.

The approval of the construction contract represents a further step towards delivering the long-planned connection.

Who Is Funding the New Sant Miquel Road?

The €2,071,399 Vial J project will be financed jointly by the Sant Joan de Labritja Town Council and the Consell Insular d'Eivissa.

The funding arrangement is:

• Consell Insular d'Eivissa: up to €1,457,616.18.

• Sant Joan de Labritja Town Council: €613,782.82.

The two contributions cover the reported contract award amount.

As with the wastewater treatment plant, the 14-month construction period will begin following the formal site handover and setting-out procedure, unless a different commencement date is specified.

A definitive opening date has not yet been confirmed.

What Happens Next?

With both contracts approved on 15 October, the municipality can advance the remaining administrative and construction preparations.

The Portinatx wastewater treatment plant is intended to provide a temporary improvement to local sanitation until the permanent facility is developed by ABAQUA.

Meanwhile, Vial J is designed to establish a new traffic connection in Sant Miquel, with the longer-term aim of reducing vehicle movements through the village centre.

Together, the projects represent an investment of more than €4 million in wastewater infrastructure, environmental protection and road improvements in northern Ibiza.

The next milestones will be the formal commencement of construction and confirmation of the respective completion schedules.