The Regional Government of Murcia has expanded its network of environmental storm tanks to help protect the Mar Menor from flooding and pollution. President Fernando López Miras inaugurated a new storm tank in Playa Honda on Monday, describing it as a key step in preventing rainwater run-off and sediment from reaching the lagoon.

The Playa Honda tank, built at a cost of 5.6 million euros, can hold 8,200 cubic metres of water – the equivalent of three Olympic-sized swimming pools. It has already filled seven times in 2025, underlining its strategic importance. A new leisure area with children’s play facilities has been built above the underground structure, and drainage networks have been upgraded to reduce flood risk.

The project was funded eighty per cent by the European Regional Development Fund and twenty per cent by the regional government. In total, 14 environmental tanks have now been built in the Campo de Cartagena area, out of 26 across the Region of Murcia.

During the event, López Miras also announced a further 8.3 million euro investment in three new tanks in Lorquí, Alcantarilla and Las Torres de Cotillas. Once completed, they will increase overall storage capacity by 70,000 cubic metres, bringing the regional total to 315,000 cubic metres and strengthening protection against heavy rainfall and urban flooding.