Residents of Masies Catalanes, an urbanization between l'Albiol and Alcover, are expressing concern about the possibility of suffering floods again with the arrival of autumn rains. This fear stems from the incidents experienced last year, when several streets were flooded on two occasions due to inadequate drainage of the plot where a photovoltaic plant is located. The Catalan Water Agency (ACA) has issued an unfavorable report, considering the corrective measures proposed by the developers of the facility, named 'Las Lomas', to be insufficient for mitigating the risk.
In 2025, during September and October, a storm caused severe flooding in Masies Catalanes, leaving residents completely isolated and with water that exceeded sidewalk height, even entering some properties. Access to the area was compromised, making entry and exit from the C-14 and la Selva del Camp impossible.
The property owners' board points to the poor design in the construction of the photovoltaic plant, installed with 11,583 panels since 2025, as the primary cause. They also attribute part of the problem to the modification of a stream in the 1990s by a farm and to the channeling of rainwater carried out in 2014 by the Diputació de Tarragona during the urbanization of one of the access roads.
ACA sources have confirmed an "affectation on the natural runoff dynamics of the property" by the plant. Despite requests to rectify the situation or justify the sufficiency of the solutions, the agency considers that the measures provided by the developers still do not adequately minimize the flood risk. For this reason, an unfavorable report has been issued, and the company has been urged to ensure proper drainage.
The Minister of Territory, Housing, and Ecological Transition, Sílvia Paneque, confirmed this scenario in a parliamentary question, although she transfers the responsibility for ensuring compliance with the reports to the L'Albiol Town Council. Residents feel abandoned, finding support only from the Alcover Town Council, and demand more information and effective solutions.
The mayor of L'Albiol, Andreu Carrasco, laments the lack of resources in his municipality, with about 550 inhabitants, to supervise infrastructures like this photovoltaic plant. He highlights the incongruity of being assigned supervisory responsibility without being aware of the ACA's reports, even though the initial permits were granted by the Generalitat. The technical services of the Baix Camp Regional Council "do what they can" given the technical difficulty and the need for permanent supervision.
Residents plan to meet with the ACA in September to address the issue, while the company still holds a valid construction permit.
