Council plans underground drainage system to stop groundwater pooling on the sand and restore confidence in one of Orihuela Costa’s troubled beach spots
Orihuela Council is preparing a major environmental clean-up operation at Cala Mosca in a bid to end years of complaints over flooding at the beach access and help restore the area’s damaged coastal image.
The plan centres on the installation of an underground drainage system beneath the promenade and pedestrian access area, designed to intercept groundwater before it breaks through to the surface near the mouth of the Rambla de las Estacas.
For years, the recurring pools of water have sparked concern among residents and beachgoers, with many fearing the worst and linking the problem to possible sewage leaks. But the council says technical investigations have now ruled out wastewater spills or faults in the municipal network.
According to the project report, tests carried out since 2023, including water analyses, sewer camera inspections and excavation work, point instead to a natural cause: groundwater rising to the surface as the ravine reaches the coast.
Although the council says the pool is small, does not affect bathing water quality and does not prevent people using the beach, officials admit the impact on public perception is serious. To many visitors, standing water beside a beach access looks like pollution, whether or not it is sewage.
That perception, the report warns, risks damaging Cala Mosca’s environmental reputation and could affect future coastal quality assessments, including the push to recover Blue Flag recognition.
The proposed solution is a 14-metre drainage trench beneath the beach access area. A 315mm PVC drainage pipe, surrounded by gravel and geotextile material, would capture the underground flow and direct it to a manhole beneath the promenade.
From there, two automatic submersible pumps would remove the water whenever it reaches a set level, preventing it from resurfacing and pooling at the entrance to the beach.
The works will involve breaking up part of the existing concrete slab, removing around 50 square metres of asphalt and excavating to depths of between one and one-and-a-half metres. The council says the affected area will then be fully restored once the system is in place.
Officials insist the project will be carried out entirely on municipal land and will not involve work on the sand or shoreline. They also say the system will not interfere with coastal dynamics or the wider aquifer, as it will only capture the specific flow responsible for the surface seepage.
The technical report concludes that the scheme is viable legally, environmentally and technically, framing it as a preventative measure to protect public health, improve the appearance of the coastline and end repeated controversy over the origin of the water.
For Orihuela Costa residents, the project is being presented as more than a drainage job. It is a long-awaited attempt to clean up Cala Mosca’s image, reassure beach users and protect the environmental value of a coastline that remains vital to tourism and local quality of life.
If approved and carried out, the scheme could finally put an end to the unsightly puddles that have dogged the beach entrance for years — and help Cala Mosca take a major step towards regaining its place among the coast’s recognised clean bathing areas.
