Hotels in the Barcelona metropolitan area will not have to close their swimming pools this summer. Several episodes of copious rainfall recorded in recent weeks have raised the level of the water reservoirs which supply the Catalan capital from 15% to 25% of their capacity – a level that is still very low but similar to that recorded at the same time. in 2023. And three months after having decreed the “emergency” phase to deal with the serious drought which has been raging for three and a half years in the north-east of Spain, the Catalan government did not want to wait any longer to return to the most severe restrictions. Tuesday May 7, he announced the return to the less rigorous “exceptionality” phase, third level out of five of the drought alert plan.
For the 6 million inhabitants and 202 municipalities concerned, water consumption increases from 200 to 230 liters per inhabitant per day. Irrigation for agricultural use, reduced by 80% compared to usual water allocations, returns to a 40% reduction; for livestock the 50% reduction amounts to 30%, and for industry from 25% to 15%.
“We find ourselves in a similar situation in summer 2023, but we are much better prepared: in May 2023, 65% of the water we consumed came from water reserves, now only 50%”said Catalan regional minister for climate action and agriculture, David Mascort.
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In addition to the rains, he explained the improvement in the Catalan water situation by the increase in water regeneration (repotabilized waste water) and desalinated sea water, as well as the sobriety efforts made by users: consumption water consumption fell by almost 10% during the first four months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023 according to records from the Catalan Water Agency (ACA).
“A dangerous decision”
“Ending certain restrictions is a dangerous decision that is short-sighted and sends a counterproductive message after the awareness-raising efforts of recent months, making people believe that they can relax as summer approaches, irrigation campaigns and tourists”, estimates engineer Dante Maschio, spokesperson for the Catalan platform Water is Life, which advocates a reduction in very water-intensive activities, such as intensive agriculture and mass tourism. For him, this eagerness “is linked to the electoral campaign” and the need for “satisfy the economic sectors”.
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