Some autonomous communities already have restrictions on water use. In a large number of municipalities, some in areas that have traditionally had less drought problems, certain utilities or at certain time periods have already cut the tap.
The status of such communities Andalusia, Galicia, Catalonia, Cantabria, Castilla y León or Navarra where drought directly affects water users. Meanwhile, other communities, such as the Asturias or the Comunidad Valenciana, still maintain a good level of water reserves and are confident that the supply is guaranteed, but they look at the sky uneasily and await the rains that come in the fall.
in the fall of 2021 Guadalquivir Hydrographic Confederation It declared a state of emergency in 10 of its 23 famine territorial units due to extreme drought, and months later, in March 2022, the Hydrographic Containment of the Andalusian Mediterranean Basins extended its previously issued emergency declaration to all land units. in June 2021 for some spool systems.
Given the development of the indicators of the special border plan, in June of this year Duero’s Hydrographic Confederation (CH) did the same for the four systems that supplied the basin with the most water: Támega-Manzanas, Tera, Carrión, and Pisuerga.
In addition, the Executive Board of CH del Duero decided on 14 July 2022 to implement exceptional measures for the rational use of water resources in the same systems and Bajo Duero (Spanish part) and irrigation seven days later. the exception statement has been extended to include the Torío-Bernesga, Bajo Duero and Órbigo systems. For example, in the Torío-Bernesga and Tera irrigation systems, a weekly shift system was implemented and rationalization measures were followed, which included maximum irrigation allocations for the remaining irrigation users and irrigation shifts for the remaining water intakes, including parks. and gardens.
At the same time, it initiated procedures to request the Government to approve a decree declaring drought, thereby adopting a series of additional measures.
in total, CH Duero has 18 reservoirs Capable of storing 2,878 cubic hectometers, it is currently 44.5 percent, 1,218 cubic hectometers, up from 57.3 percent of their total capacity a year ago.
Inside cantabria, The volume of the Ebro reservoir is currently 263 hm3, representing 48.8% of its capacity. In 2021, its volume was 298 hm3.
The “real threat” of famine in Galicia
On your own behalf GaliciaThe Consellería de Infraestruturas confirms that river levels are at “the lowest since records were kept on the Galicia-Costa border”. This is why they insist there is a “real threat” to the water supply in various parts of Galicia.
Regarding meetings with city councils, he insists that awareness measures are made public and “prepared for other more complex scenarios”. He also points out that the “most worrying” areas are those supplied by the Baiona and Zamáns reservoirs and the Lérez and Anllóns rivers, referring to the “famine alert” in the Cabe and Limia rivers, which in this case is tied to this situation. Miño-Delete border.
Regarding the measures, it refers to those already implemented by the municipalities and the implementation of Xunta’s new drought plan, which was approved in June, according to its severity. These include reducing water for urban and industrial supply, in addition to the possibility of temporary interruptions.
However, he insists it’s “time for city councils to analyze which water is the least priority uses” and to work on “leakage from municipal grids”. “They lose an average of 40 percent of the flow, reaching 60 percent to 80 percent in some areas.”
At the moment, According to Xunta, 104 municipalities in Galicia have contingency plans against drought46 of them are on the Galicia-Costa border, but of the major cities only Santiago.
this Balearic Islands they are also experiencing the effects of drought. In particular, in Ciutadella (Menorca), the City Council announced its decision to temporarily decommission the showers and foot baths of seven municipal coves and beaches as a measure to conserve water. Consistory stated that although they did not have any problems in the supply of drinking water, they preferred to take this measure considering that “it is a service that can be dispensed with in the current situation” since it does not rain. Ciutadella more than 75 days.
Navarre it also imposes restriction or control measures on, for example, irrigators, swimming pools or oral consumption. In terms of irrigation, the Ebro Hydrographic Confederation imposes apportionment and supply restrictions on large irrigated areas on the left bank of the Ebro.
On the contrary, Valencian Community There will be no water restrictions for the time being, despite a call from the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development, Climate Emergency and Ecological Transition to the sectors and society for a “rational” use as “waste is not an option”.
Same way, Euskadi According to the Basque Government, water supply to more than 90% of the population is “guaranteed in the medium term”, despite the continuation of recent weeks and even a “limited rainfall” scenario. The ‘most relevant’ problems occur in the Urdaibai region and small towns in Llanada Alavesa, in areas where ‘reinforcement of supply infrastructures is necessary’.
Unlike other Spanish confederations, Jucar Hydrographic Confederation In terms of drought, the situation is “absolutely normal” so that in both prolonged drought and famine all regional units are in this normality so that no restriction scenarios are considered in the region and all demands are “met” and guaranteed for the current hydrological year.”
Finally, AragonThe mayor of Huesca, Luis Felipe, issued a statement this Friday for a “responsible and moderate” consumption of drinking water, given the current weather our autonomous community has been experiencing and a “considerable” lack of precipitation in recent months. It caused the levels of the water supply system of the city of Huesca to be lower than normal at this time.
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