Infrastructure secretary Rafael González and staffer Xico Ribas met today on Es Pujols's waterfront promenade with Carlos Tur, president of the town's neighbourhood association, to take stock of repairs on one of a pair of pumps at the sewage station there.

Officials at ABAQUA, which manages the station, said a malfunctioning pump was behind weekend leaks of raw sewage at Es Pujols's Passeig Marítim. “The Council's cleaning crews were on the scene from the outset to minimise disruptions,” explained Councillor González, who also highlighted the administration's contact with ABAQUA and area residents in tackling the problem.

According to the local infrastructure head, crews reported a technical glitch at the pump station had been fixed by Monday morning, when the Council sent in a special brigade to finalise cleanup. Addressing residents, local tradespeople and tourists, González said, “We regret the inconveniences caused by an incident of this sort in the heart of summer and hope it doesn't recur”.

González called to mind this winter's overhaul of the sewage system in Es Pujols's town centre which separated storm water from sewage. He asserted the lack of any connection between that project and the current incident.

The Formentera Council and the governing body of regional agency for water and environment, Abaqua, have signed off on a plan to give the Council use rights of a swath of land known alternately as sa tanca d'Allà Dins and Ca'n Pep Lluqui des Cap de Barbaria.

The Council requested use of the land as part of an effort to reduce summertime crowds and traffic jams, a situation that had prompted both environmental impact and issues affecting safety and public order.

The administration has pledged to develop measures to safeguard the area's environmental, landscape, heritage and tourism resources. The first such protections—defining a parking area and restricting vehicle access to the cape, for example—have already been introduced.

In 2005, Abaqua purchased the 318-hectare plot for €2.9 million to preserve the natural surroundings by focusing on protections for the land's quality and uniqueness. At present the agency neither conducts maintenance on the land nor enlists employees to otherwise make use of it.

The Formentera Council has announced that from today overflow parking will again be made available in la Savina between plaça Illes Pitiüses and Estany des Peix. Privately-owned vehicles can be left at the 120-capacity car park for up to five days and no special passes are required of drivers.

As part of a deal struck by the Council and the plot's current renters, the space will remain open until October 31. Neither lorries nor unhired rental cars can be left there. The free-to-use car park was made available in response to requests from residents and seasonal workers who lacked the necessary authorisation to park in la Savina. It is also open to tourists.

The Formentera Council's Office of Infrastructure began a push last Friday, March 20, to vacate signposts associated with the island's now obsolete networks of nature trails and cycling routes.

Crews have also targeted dilapidated signage on public roads and land plots. In all, 340 signs have been marked for removal. The €14,000 effort, including treatment of waste materials, must be completed within two weeks.

Pointing to the run-down signs' disparate designs and conflicting information, infrastructure chief Rafael González said the change was "a necessary next step following last September's upgrades of the nature trail signposts".