Junta approves emergency work to improve the quality of water from La Viñuela reservoir

Andalucía’s regional government, the Junta de Andalucía, has announced emergency work to use as much of the remaining water in La Viñuela reservoir in the Axarquía as possible. Of the 16.5 hectometers that remain, it is estimated that only 7.5 are usable, since below nine is technically sludge.

To try to increase these resources, the Junta announced on Tuesday 6 June plans to install a floating pumping station in the reservoir. The budget for this action amounts to more than 780,000 euros and the project to install is expected to take eight months, according to a statement from the regional administration.

The project is included in the third drought decree approved by the Andalusian government and is designed to improve water quality in the supply of water to Almáchar, Benamargosa, El Borge, Comares, Cútar, Iznate, Macharaviaya, Moclinejo, Rincón de la Victoria, Vélez-Málaga, Totalán, Algarrobo, Torrox and Nerja, totaling about 220, 000 inhabitants.

According to the latest report on the water situation in Andalucía, there has been "a slower rate of decline of water reservoirs as a result of recent rains". In Andalucía as a whole, the decrease of water reservoirs in a week has been only five cubic hectometers (hm3), which is 0.04% less, leaving the water reservoir in 3,225 hm3, 26.94% of the 11,971 hm3 which is the total capacity of the region’s reservoirs, which are now 1,085 hm3 lower compared with this time last year .

In the case of the Guadalquivir river basin, which is managed by the central government, the volume of water reservoirs is at 23.8% of its capacity, remaining at the same level as a week ago. At present there are 619 hm3 less than just a year ago.

In the Andalusian Mediterranean Basins, managed by the Junta de Andalucía, the water in reservoirs has increased thanks to the recent rainfall, allowing 5 hm3 more than last week (an increase of 0.43%). It is currently at 34.92% of its total capacity. In one year the decrease has been 205 hm3. The Guadalete-Barbate area has seen its reserves decrease by 6 hm3 in one week (0.36% less) to 25.25% of its capacity.

The Tinto-Odiel-Piedras-Chanza basin has suffered a new drop of 4 hm3 (representing 0.36% less) and leaving the percentage of water reservoirs with respect to the total capacity at 44.10%. In the same week of June 2022 there was about 93 hm3 more than what there is now.