Debris sites in Catarroja closed

The Valencian regional government said on May 13 it had closed the reconstruction-debris management sites in Quart de Poblet and Catarroja, two of the largest waste-treatment areas set up after the October 29, 2024 floods. The Generalitat said the two sites handled 142,758 tonnes of waste and rubble generated during rebuilding work after the disaster. The regional government put the total investment for the two closures and related operations at 27.9 million euros. Recovery commissioner Raúl Mérida visited the sites with Jorge Blanco, director general for environmental quality, and local officials from Catarroja, according to the Generalitat. ### Why were these sites still operating after the first flood cleanup ended? The Generalitat said Quart de Poblet and Catarroja had already hosted two of the three main transfer points used during the first phase of flood-waste removal in 2024 and 2025. Those emergency installations were later closed, but waste began building up again in subsequent months as reconstruction of homes, businesses and public spaces generated new debris. (comunica.gva.es) Raúl Mérida said the second phase involved rubble, bulky items and some hazardous waste, including paint cans and solvents used in rebuilding work. He said the regional government stepped in again after municipalities asked for help handling material that required specific treatment and removal. ### How much material moved through Quart de Poblet and Catarroja overall? Quart de Poblet handled 305,306 tonnes of waste in the main transfer point used after the floods, while Catarroja removed 264,077 tonnes in an earlier stage, the Generalitat said. (comunica.gva.es) In the later reconstruction phase, the regional government said it spent 5.1 million euros to remove 34,758 tonnes of reconstruction debris in Quart de Poblet alone. The Generalitat did not give a separate line-by-line breakdown in the May 13 release for the remainder of the 142,758 tonnes cited for the latest closure announcement, but it said that figure covered waste and rubble managed at the two sites during the reconstruction stage. The same release said the combined investment tied to the two sites in that stage was 27.9 million euros. ### Which towns relied on the Catarroja and Quart de Poblet network? (comunica.gva.es) An April 1, 2025 Consell release said the Catarroja transfer point served local accumulation sites in Alaquàs, Albal, Aldaia, Alfafar, Benetússer, Catarroja, Llocnou de la Corona, Massanassa, Mislata, Paiporta, Picanya, Sedaví, Torrent, València and Xirivella. The same release said the Quart de Poblet/Manises point served municipalities including Manises, Paterna, Requena, Riba-roja de Túria, Utiel, Vilamarxant and others. (comunica.gva.es) The Consell said at the time that the transfer points were part of the final phase of a broader waste-removal plan designed to clear material from urban areas and move it to treatment or landfill. The contract ratified on April 1, 2025 covered 750,000 tonnes of waste across three lots, including Quart de Poblet/Manises, Catarroja and Picassent. ### Why did the regional government take over what is usually a local job? (comunica.gva.es) The Consell said on September 11, 2025 that municipalities including Catarroja and Quart de Poblet had asked the regional government to assume debris-removal work because they could not bear the cost of execution. The approval relied on emergency flood legislation that allowed the Generalitat to carry out municipal-competence works tied to post-flood cleanup and reconstruction. (comunica.gva.es) The Generalitat said the wider flood-waste response had already removed more than 800,000 tonnes of waste, mud and damaged vehicles by that point. In the May 13, 2026 release, Mérida said the regional government had committed more than 200 million euros to the overall waste-response device, which he described as the largest single budget line in the recovery plan. ### What comes after the closures in Catarroja and Quart de Poblet? (comunica.gva.es) The Generalitat’s reconstruction tracker says the extraordinary collection points in Catarroja, Picassent and Quart de Poblet-Manises have now been shut and that 44 million euros in additional support is planned for municipalities removing debris generated during reconstruction. The same tracker says the regional government’s broader recovery program covers works already completed or under way across roads, public transport and local infrastructure. (comunica.gva.es) The next phase remains municipal cleanup backed by regional funding and contracts. The Generalitat said on May 13 that it had acted where town halls lacked the technical or financial capacity to respond quickly, and its reconstruction balance page says those support measures continue under the Plan Endavant recovery program. (comunica.gva.es) (recuperacio.gva.es)