Villaverde del Río opens Andalucía's first artificial pitch without microplastics or irrigation
Topics Diputación de Sevilla
The municipal 11-a-side football pitch San Sebastián in Villaverde del Río now has an artificial turf without infill or microplastics that needs no irrigation for its usual maintenance. The Diputación de Sevilla has contributed almost 300,000 euros through the Plan Sevilla 107.
The municipal 11-a-side football pitch San Sebastián, in Villaverde del Río, now uses a new artificial turf. The system has no infill or microplastics and does not need irrigation for the usual maintenance of the surface. According to the Diputación de Sevilla, it is the first football pitch in Andalusia to use this system.
The installed surface is 6,500 square metres and has been laid by the company OPSA. As it has no infill, there is no need to decompact or replace it, which reduces maintenance costs. The material is designed to make it easier to recycle at the end of its useful life.
Who plays here
The pitch is mainly used for training by U.D. Villaverde, of the Segunda Andaluza. The mayor, José María Martín Vera, has explained that the turf has been renewed after fifteen years of continuous use and has put at nearly 600 the number of children in the municipality who take part in the club's sports activities.
The work has been completed with the checking and repair of the drainage system, with the replacement of the deteriorated channels and grilles and with the change of the pop-up irrigation sprinklers for others with greater range and lower water consumption.
Almost 300,000 euros from the Diputación
The Diputación de Sevilla has contributed almost 300,000 euros through the Plan Sevilla 107. The president of the provincial institution, Javier Fernández, has linked this type of investment with the goal of combating depopulation in the province's municipalities. Fernández has also mentioned the water-related investments that the Diputación has signed and has assured that Villaverde will be able to «look at the rain without unease before long».
Martín Vera has pointed out that the Ayuntamiento does not have its own resources for an investment of this size: «If it weren't for the Diputación, sport in our town could not exist».