Orihuela City Council has added a new high-specification water tanker to its municipal street-cleaning fleet as part of an ongoing programme to modernise services across the municipality.
The vehicle, costing €174,240 including VAT, will be used to wash streets throughout Orihuela city, its outlying districts and Orihuela Costa. It is expected to enter service immediately.
Equipped with a 10,000-litre tank, high-pressure washing equipment, GPS tracking and intelligent fuel-consumption controls, the tanker is designed to improve efficiency while providing safer working conditions for municipal employees.
Street Cleaning and Waste councillor Rocío Ortuño said the investment would strengthen washing operations and make the daily work of cleaning crews easier.
“We are continuing to modernise the street-cleaning service so that, by working together, we can achieve a cleaner Orihuela,” she said.
The tanker forms part of a machinery and vehicle supply contract worth more than €3.4 million. During the current council term, the authority has also introduced refuse-collection lorries, road sweepers and vehicles used to remove discarded furniture and bulky household waste.
Mayor Pepe Vegara said the council had inherited a fleet of ageing vehicles affected by frequent breakdowns, expired maintenance contracts and management problems that made it difficult to keep the municipality adequately clean.
He added that waste and street-cleaning services were being reorganised across Orihuela city, its surrounding villages and the coast.
The company appointed to manage waste collection on Orihuela Costa is expected to take full control of the service within the coming weeks. New rubbish containers and litter bins are also due to be installed.
The new tanker was supplied by Volvo Group España for €144,000 plus €30,240 in VAT and carries a three-year warranty.
It has been named in honour of recently retired employees Manuel Albero Lidón and Pedro Jaime Marcos Brú, who operated similar vehicles during their years with the municipal service.
