Drought crisis
Sections
Highlight
Sections
Highlight
A further relaxation in the water supply restrictions in Malaga province comes into force today, Friday 9 May, after the publication of the latest update on the drought crisis in the Junta de Andalucía's official regional gazette (BOJA).
The western Costa del Sol is guaranteed its full supply, followed by Malaga, although the city's consumption is still technically limited. Large inland areas where water is not supplied by the province's reservoirs also reach a level of normality, while the Axarquia takes a leap forward and covers 90% of its demand with the new regulatory framework.
The Junta's drought committee met on 25 March and decided to triple the water allocated for agricultural irrigation and to extend the thresholds of consumption per inhabitant per day. Moving to different drought levels is complex because, even if the figures correspond to a category two levels lower, there are multiple requirements to officially confirm improvements. For example, an area cannot skip a level and go two steps down at a time. In addition, a coefficient related to average precipitation must also be taken into account.
In the Western Costa del Sol area, which mainly relies on the La Concepción reservoir near Marbella, a situation of normality has been decreed. Consumption allocation was set at 250 litres per inhabitant per day. Water supply company Acosol has been asked to maximise the use of the Fuengirola and Guadalmansa wells, as well as the Marbella desalination plant, which will produce 20 million cubic metres per year from June onwards.
In the Guadalhorce-Limonero system, in the city of Malaga, there is a moderate shortage of water. The numbers are getting closer to normal. A maximum allocation of up to 225 litres per inhabitant per day has been established for water supply company Emasa, which has been urged to draw from the Aljaima and Fahala wells and from the Guadalhorce flow (minimum 1 million cubic metres per month, which is a quarter of consumption).
The committee has set the limits for agricultural irrigation at 30 million cubic metres. Last year there were only 9 million cubic metres.
In the Viñuela-Axarquía system, the situation has been reduced from serious to severe, with 225 litres per inhabitant per day and 12.8 million cubic metres for irrigation. The latter will be added to the regenerated water volume. Last year, barely 3 million cubic metres were made available.
No transfers from Malaga will be necessary and the Axaragua supply company will receive a flow of at least 60 litres per second from the underground resources of the Chíllar river. The rest will come from the La Viñuela reservoir.
The areas without regulations, i.e. without reservoirs, will also undergo a qualitative change. The basins between the Guadiaro and Guadalhorce rivers and at the headwaters of the Guadalhorce have shifted from a state of moderate scarcity to normality. They are therefore out of the restriction phase.
The lower Guadalhorce river basin is also shifting from severe to moderate drought, with 225 litres per inhabitant per day.
Runoff continues to increase reservoir levels after the series of storms and 'danas' discharged large quantities of water in March and parts of April. In total, Malaga province's reserve stands at 378 million cubic metres, with the latest addition of 3 million cubic metres since last week.
The reservoir with the most water is La Viñuela, with 82 million cubic metres. It is followed by the Guadalteba, with 81. The Conde de Guadalhorce has 65 and the Guadalhorce, 60. The almost full La Concepción is at 57, while Casasola and Limonero have 16 and 14, respectively. That means that the total volume is around 62% of the full capacity. This is 208 million cubic metres more than during this time last year. There is no doubt that the situation has substantially changed, although there is no room for excessive and reckless relaxation.
Publicidad
Publicidad
Publicidad
Publicidad
Esta funcionalidad es exclusiva para registrados.
Reporta un error en esta noticia
Comentar es una ventaja exclusiva para registrados
¿Ya eres registrado?
Inicia sesiónNecesitas ser suscriptor para poder votar.