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La Viñuela reservoir is currently just 51.5 cubic hectometres full.
Junta allows Axarquía fruit growers to use water from treatment plants
AXARQUÍA

Junta allows Axarquía fruit growers to use water from treatment plants

Water levels at La Viñuela reservoir are a fifth lower than this time last year and the priority is keeping supplies for human use

Eugenio Cabezas

Saturday, 19 June 2021, 15:01

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Andalucía's regional government approved on Tuesday a decree allowing the Axarquía's subtropical fruit sector to use treated water from both Vélez-Málaga and Algarrobo's waste water treatment plants.

The move comes as the Junta signed its first drought agreement since 2009, in light of lack of rainfall and worrying levels of water in La Viñuela reservoir.

The reservoir is currently holding just 51.5 cubic hectometres of water, compared with 65 this time last year, a 20 per cent drop.

While the Junta de Andalucía said that using water from treatment plants was a "last resort" it stipulated that "water for human consumption" is the priority for the supply from La Viñuela.

Subtropical fruit growers, who have raised concerns about possible risk of contamination of crops by using treated water, must now negotiate a price with the public company that manages the two treatment plants, Axaragua.

The extra water could provide up to 6.5 cubic hectometres per year.

A press statement released by the Junta on Tuesday said the agreement would "allow the use of tertiary water treatments in the Axarquía; currently one of the areas most affected by the lack of precipitation."

While full details of the report have not yet been published, it is also believed that it allows for the use of water in the pools of the Chillar river for agricultural purposes, which would provide up to six cubic hectometres of water per year.

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