Water shortage News |
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Water shortage News - Chronology
On this page we have curated a timeline of stories relating to the water shortage affecting daily life in parts of Andalusia. The timeline is based on research into news stories in provincial Spanish-language newspapers that contain the words 'sequia' (drought) and 'viñuela' (Lake Viñuela Reservoir).
It is noteworthy that, with the exception of the irrigation water problem at Lake Viñuela in 2015, the drought/water shortage was not mentioned in the press until 2017. Then, for several years, there were only about 10 articles per year in the provincial newspapers. In 2022, this increased to around 25, with the communications departments of the regional government taking the initiative to issue press releases at an increasing rate. By the end of 2023, the drought/water shortage became mainstream news. Since then, provincial newspapers have published several articles a day, including daily reservoir levels.
For more information on the background principles of water supply and demand in Andalucia, see our Water Supply in Andalucia page.
What are the current water restrictions on the Costa del Sol
Water shortage News Updates
19-04-2024 Estepona will open its swimming pools this summer.
The Mayor of Estepona, José María García Urbano, in response to a question at the 'Sur Water Forum' on Friday 19-04-2024, stated that. "We never find justification for some swimming pools to be open while others are not. In Estepona we are clear that the pools will be authorised". [That sounds like all swimming pools, we await an update on the restriction currently in place. The regional Governement had stated (see below 03-04-2024) that the decision on whether to permit private or community pools to open will rests with the Town Halls.
10-04-2024 President of the regional government has assured that the filling of community pools could be allowed, but not private pools.
The Comisión de Gestión de la Sequía de las Cuencas Mediterráneas Andaluzas (Drought Management Commission of the Andalucia Mediterranean Basins) met two days ago but did not make any modification to the regulations for the filling of swimming pools, which currently is only permitted for hotels, campsites, sports clubs, health and public pools.
So the president decided to state in an interview yeasterday that it is "foreseeable that the filling of community pools will be allowed", but stressed that "it is difficult right now" to allow the filling of private pools. He also remarked that the local councils are the ones who will decide what to do with the communal swimming pools but must still comply with the drinking water limitations, which is now 200 litres per inhabitant per day. Source
09-04-2024 Regional Government increases the water supply to 200 litres per person per day in Malaga.
The Comisión de Gestión de la Sequía de las Cuencas Mediterráneas Andaluzas (Drought Management Commission of the Andalucia Mediterranean Basins) met and has agreed by majority to increase the maximum water supply limit [ from 160 to ] 200 litres per inhabitant per day in the 25 municipalities supplied by the Malaga systems of the Western Costa del Sol (Benahavís, Benalmádena, Casares, Casares, Casares and Benahavís), Benalmádena, Casares, Estepona, Fuengirola, Manilva, Marbella, Ojén, Torremolinos and Mijas); Guadalhorce-Limonero (Málaga); and Axarquía-Viñuela (Almáchar, Benamargosa, El Borge, Comares, Cútar, Iznate, Macharaviaya, Moclinejo, Rincón de la Victoria, Vélez-Málaga, Totalán, Algarrobo, Torrox and Nerja).
The regional administration will be responsible for measuring this volume at the entrance to the municipal headwater tanks or at the network intakes. The committee will review measures again in June. Source
09-02-2023 ARCGISA announces water restrictions for Campo de Gibraltar
ARCGISA (which sands for Agua y Residuos del Campo de Gibraltar, the public company owned by the Mancomunidad de Municipios del Campo de Gibraltar) announced the there would be increased water restriction for the Campo de Gibraltar (under the provisions of the Order of 7 October 2021) and that from inmediate effect there would be a drastic lowering the water pressure from 06.00 hrs to 23.00 hrs as well as a suspension of supply from 23.00 to 06.00 hrs. However, for unavoidable technical reasons, essentially linked to the peculiarities of each municipality, the drastic reduction in pressure may not affect all the locations within the same locality equally, with a minimum night-time supply occasionally being available due to the existence of water in the network.
The director general of ARCGISA recalled that the set of measures just announced emanated from the storage capacity of the reservoirs, there being a critical level that had been set at 41.5 cubic hectometres which signalled the need to adopt and apply measures to save 20% of the water consumption. "It will be from that moment onwards, if the exceptional drought situation persists, when it will again be necessary to gradually adopt other more far-reaching restrictive measures". Source
04-04-2024 San Roque Mayor calls for compliance with water restrictions in force.
Sotogrande and San Roque Club, in the spotlight for not complying with water restrictions.
Juan Carlos Ruiz Boix [San Roque Mayor], has appealed to all the inhabitants of the municipality to comply with the current water restrictions, especially those living in the areas of San Roque Club and Sotogrande, as these are the two places where more water is consumed per person per day.
"According to the current restrictions, there was a need for San Roque and the region to have a consumption of less than 160 litres per person per day; and the municipality of San Roque does not comply with this, because there are urbanisations that do not comply with the restrictions on the use of drinking water to fill swimming pools or for watering gardens. We are in a drought, so the gardens should be too, despite the possible aesthetic repercussions, because human consumption is prioritised". "It must be said that the vast majority of the municipality of San Roque," continued the mayor, "is below the 160 litres per person, but in the urbanisations we are above; in San Roque Club the average consumption has been almost 60 per cent higher than permitted, more than 245 litres per person per day; and in Sotogrande it is multiplied by four, over 660 litres per person per day". Source
[The consumption the Mayor refered to are not limits on the water metered by each household or business. They are limits on the total drinking water filling the large town hall storage tanks, divided by the registered town population. It is currently set at 160 litres per person per day. As a reference, the average person in Andalucia consumes 129 litres of domestic drinking water per day. The higher consumption limit of 160 litres per inhabitant per day fixed because this has to include all the drinking water consumed by business and commerce such as hotels, shops, offices and non-resident holiday homes and villas. The districts of a town with more commerce, business and hotels will always consume more than the average. On the 21-02-2024 Alcgisa (Campo de Gibraltar water company) stated that two municipalities; Algeciras and San Roque were not meeting the 160 litres per inhabitant per day requirement.]
03-04-2024 Filling of swimming pools this summer to be decided by local town halls across Malaga province.
[In a U-turn - see 22-03-2024], the decision on whether or not to allow the filling or refilling of swimming pools this summer will be taken by local councils at the municipal level after Easter. Town halls will be given some flexibility in deciding what action to take regarding swimming pools, as long as they comply with the maximum consumption guidelines set by the Regional Government's Drought Management Committee.
"It will depend on the capacity of the municipalities to reach 180, 200 or 225 litres per inhabitant per day, whatever the drought committee decides. We always want to make the restriction measures more flexible, depending on the water capacity we have. Therefore, if they can be made more flexible, we are going to try to do so, always, but it will depend on the capacity of each municipality to make these water savings," the region's minister of agriculture Carmen Crespo told SUR.
Consumption limits are set by drought committees and each municipality or water company then complies with them by taking whatever measures they deem appropriate. In practice, the 11 municipalities of the Costa del Sol and the municipality of Malaga coincide in their banning the use of potable water for filling swimming pools; garden and golf course irrigation; car washing; drinking fountains; [beach] showers.
Consumption limits are set by drought committees, and each municipality or water company then complies with them by taking the measures it deems appropriate. The 11 municipalities on the Costa del Sol and Málaga have agreed to ban the use of drinking water for filling swimming pools, watering gardens and golf courses, washing cars, drinking fountains, showers and foot baths. Source
[The consumption limits are not limits on the water metered by each household or business. They are limits on the potable water supplied to the large storage tanks of each town hall, divided by the registered population of each town. It is currently set at 160 per person per day. As a reference, the average person in Spain consumes 130 litres of domestic drinking water per day. The consumption limit of 160 litres per inhabitant per day must include for all the drinking water consumed by hotels, shops, offices and non-resident holiday homes and villas].
22-03-2024 Desalination — can it help us survive water scarcity?
Desalination is known for being energy-intensive, expensive and polluting. From Ancient Greek sailors boiling seawater to Romans using clay pipes to filter salt, making saltwater drinkable through desalination has a long history. While 70% of the Earth's surface is covered in water, less than 1% of the planet's 1260 million trillion liters of water is drinkable. 1260 million Hm3
Despite criticisms desalination has been steadily expanding over the last two decades. Desalination plants today remove salt from water either using thermal distillation, which involves heating the liquid and collecting the vapor, or through reverse osmosis, where water is filtered as it is pushed through a semi-permeable membrane. Most new desalination plants use reverse osmosis rather than thermal processes and this is much more energy efficient.
The energy required for reverse osmosis desalination dropped by almost 90% between 1970 and 2020. Some predictions say technological advances may reduce the costs of desalinated water by 60% in the next 20 years.
Today 56 billion liters 56 million M3 56 HM3 if old billion then 56,000 HM3 of desalinated water can be produced every day. That equates to around 7 litres for every person on earth. Of the estimated 16,000 plants in operation around the world, 39% of them are in the Middle East. Globally, only around half a percent of all water used comes from desalination. But in countries such as Qatar it makes up 76%, in the island nation of Cyprus it makes an estimated 80% of its drinking water.
One of the key environmental concerns with desalination is brine discharge into the natural environment which can cause "marine pollution, underground water pollution, and soil salinization. An estimated 70% of the global brine output comes from the Middle East where the desalination plants mostly use seawater, which is more saline than the brackish water often used, for example, in the US. Some new brine treatment technologies are emerging, which could help reduce the volume of pollution and recover valuable materials such as minerals, salts and metals. Source
22-03-2024 Swimming pools at self-catering villas in south of Spain 'cannot be filled this summer'.
The regional government has confirmed that private pools and shared pools in residential communities will NOT be able to fill up or top up with water this summer. The region's expert drought committee met to clarify rules with some town halls contradicting regional instructions.
Hotels, Tourist Apartment complexes, public municipal pools, sports and social clubs, health and therapeutic centres will be allowed to keep filling up pools [with drinking water]. Privately owned salt water pools that have the necessary certified facilities, and do not discharge into the sewage system, will be allowed.
[The question was also asked whether is was posible to top up a pool with non drinking water or collected rain water or sea water. However other heath regulations only permit this is the mixing with chlorine and testing is carried out in a separate tank. If such a tank is not used the pool must be closed for three days.
There was still some uncertainty over whether private villas rented out for holiday lettings and residential communities with a lot of Airbnb-style rentals would be allowed to fill up. However it was made clear that these will not be authorised to fill up or top up this summer - either with mains water or water in tankers. The drought committee's conclusion was that the prohibition powers contained in a 2021 regional decree [which was not enacted until October 2023] should be maintained and neither private individuals or communities of owners will be able to fill their swimming pools with drinking water this summer. Source
21-03-2024 Which is the town in Malaga province with the most swimming pools.
There are currently 78,606 swimming pools in the province of Malaga, according to the 2023 land registry data. The municipality in the province of Malaga with the highest number of outdoor swimming pools is Marbella, with 10,744, followed by Mijas with 8,214, Malaga city has 5,926, Alhaurín de la Torre has 4,966 and Estepona has 4,264 pools. Counting indoor pools, Malaga city has 107, Marbella with 106, Benahavis 49, and Estepona with 29. Source
21-03-2024 More than 80 companies in Malaga join forces to tackle the drought: "This could be ruinous".
"The paradox of water: tourists refresh themselves in the swimming pools, while the locals see their gardens wither away", is what companies and self-employed people from Malaga in the sectors of gardening, swimming pools, nurseries, lifeguards and tourist flats say in a manifesto. Likewise, the representative of this new movement made up of more than 80 companies and around 300 people, Andrés Marín, assures that "this could be ruinous" for the summer if the situation does not change. If the situation continues, there will be widespread redundancies in different companies, affecting thousands of families throughout the province of Malaga.
Many of the people who come to Malaga during the summer stay in urbanisations or tourist flats, specifically 60% of the travellers, and with the swimming pools closed, their decisions may change. "We are already having conversations with neighbours about people cancelling their holidays," says the owner of a gardening company in Benalmádena. He also points out that with less work, companies are starting to cut back. Source
05-03-2024 The Junta inaugurates some pumps to boost the poor reserves of the La Viñuela reservoir.
A system of floating water intakes, costing 710,000 euros will be used the water level in the reserviour drops to the point that is is not posible to exract water from the reservior by the perminant water intakes.
[The photograph of seven dignitries and press unvieling a plaque on the reservior's permanent intake tower, which can not be read by the public anyway, must be one of the most sureal of the decade.] Source
05-03-2024 Work nearly complete to provide 25 per cent of Malaga's water supply from underground
The regional and local authorities are stepping up work at the Fahala and Aljaima catchment basin in Cártama and calculate that by the end of the year 60 per cent of the Malaga City's demand will be met by underwater supplies.
The Aljaima and Fahala wells in the municipality of Cártama are being prepared to supply the city's mains network by May. The wells, located close to the confluence between the River Guadalhorce and River Grande, will contributed 12.6 hM3 per year, which is a quarter of Malaga city's demand of around 54 mH3 per year.
Meanwhile the Regional Government's agriculture ministry is spending 6 m€ on making unspecified wells usable. They were created during the drought of 1995 but were damaged by the floods of 2012. Flood water swept away pumps, pipes and electrical panels, among other equipment. The flood also destroyed the small Aljaima dam, although this was repaired a few years ago and in February provided 1.5 mH3. The floods also rendered wells on the left side of the Guadalhorce unusable and the city's water company, Emasa, has been working on them for the last year. Four wells are already providing 6 hM3 and cleaning of another four is under way. Source
28-02-2024 German multinational offers portable desalination solutions to drought-stricken Costa del Sol
Spanish firms including SETA PHT have offered their portable desalinatioin plants to town halls located on the Costa del Sol and they have now been joined by German multinational Boreal Light. The firm claims that its designs can be installed within a month and are more efficient, as they use solar energy.
Boreal Light's sales representative in Malaga, Rene von Reth, who is originally from Germany, but lives in the Axarquía, said that the equipment in their catalogue can produce up to 2,400 cubic metres of desalinated water per day, which is suitable for consumption. The cost of each of the units is around 900,000 euros, although this price would be reduced if plants were bought in bulk. Von Reth estimates that around 80 portable desalination plants could be installed along the Malaga coastline at a cost of around 75 million euros and working within 18 months.
He said that he is trying to meet with politicians in towns along the Costa del Sol most affected by the drought, including those in the Axarquía. "For the moment I have not been able to arrange any meetings and it is a shame, because it seems that there is no interest". Von Reth has had a meeting with the Regional Governments representative for agriculture, Fernando Fernández, who showed "great interest" in the equipment and urged him to contact the town halls directly because they are responsible for providing the supply service to the population. Source
26-02-2024 Junta will tender the water connection between Mijas and Marbella by the end of the year.
The Regional Government will put out to tender the works to connect the water infrastructures of Mijas with those of Marbella by the end of the year, as announced by the Regional Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Carmen Crespo, during a visit to the municipality of Mijas. The technical work on the drafting of the project to connect the last section of the water infrastructure network between Marbella and the El Toro water deposit is still underway.
This work is part of the so-called water highway, a connection that will link the Campo de Gibraltar with the Axarquia region and whose key work is the Rojas Pumping Station, whose works are still on schedule. The mayoress of Mijas, Ana Mata, stated "the need for these infrastructures had been forgotten for years".
In other Mijas water news, Mijas Town Council has authorised an investment of 20,000 euros for the purchase of 30 pieces of equipment for the detection of leaks in real time in a water distribution network that in many cases is old, which allows its instant location for the repair of faults and to optimise the consumption of drinking water. Mijas has also authorised an investment of 18,049 euros for the replacement of a sewerage pipe in Calle Cártama, in La Cala de Mijas, as the current one is in poor condition, with cracks and blockages, which cause discharges into the ground. Source
20-02-2024 Hidralia advises client about the restrictions
Please be informed that the municipalities of the Association of Municipalities of the Western Costa del Sol (Benahavis, Benalmádena, Casares, Estepona, Fuengirola, Istán, Manilva, Marbella, Mijas, Ojén and Torremolinos) will reduce the water pressure from 00:00 to 06:00 hours in order to achieve the objective of reducing consumption to 160 liters per inhabitant per day set by the Junta de Andalucía in view of the severe drought situation. In this way, it may be the case that supply cuts occur in those places that do not have a water tank or are in high areas or away from the main supply of each locality.
09-02-2024 Junta restricts water consumption in Malaga province to 160 litres per person per day.
The Regional Government has limited water consumption this Friday in the province of Malaga, the area with the most restrictions and supply cuts in the whole region, due to the drought. The management committee has decreed a maximum expenditure of 160 litres per inhabitant per day in the capital of Malaga, the Costa del Sol and the Axarquia area, so the measure now affects the entire province. A 20% reduction in industrial water use has also been established. The decisions was taken by the Comité de Gestión de la Sequía de las Cuencas Mediterráneas Andaluzas. The Junta will be in charge of measuring the volume at the entrance of the municipal storage tanks or at the intakes of the networks. [ In other words this in not limit on each household but a limit on the town bases on its registered population.] The whole province had already limited consumption to 200 litres per person per day.
The limit also applies to the municipalities that not regulated by the Junta, such as the area around the river Guadiaro, the Sierra Tejeda and the entire Guadalhorce area, which includes Antequera, Coín and Torremolinos. The 160 litre per inhabitant per day limit also extends to the Campo de Gibraltar (Algeciras, Los Barrios, Castellar de la Frontera, Línea de la Concepción, San Roque, Jimena de la Frontera and San Martín del Tesorillo).
Meanwhile the 200 litre limit is now applied to area of Cuevas de Almanzora (Carboneras, Los Gallardos, Garrucha, Mojácar, Albox, Antas, Arboleas, Cuevas del Almanzora, Huércal-Overa, Taberno, Vera and Zurgena) in Almería and the upper basin of the river Verde de Almuñécar (Jete, Otívar, Lentejí and Salobreña), in Granada. Source
29-01-2024 Fourth Andalucia drought decree-law
Governing Council of Regionial Government will approve the fourth drought decree-law with a budget of 200 million euros. Juanma Moreno, Andalucian President stated during the meeting of the Committee of Experts. Of the total 200 million euros, 50 million euros will be earmarked for measures to help the agri-food sector.
Among the actions are immediate works for areas classified as emergency. These include Jerez de la Frontera (Cádiz), Bajo Guadalhorce and Antequera (Málaga) and Motril (Granada). The improvement of water supply in Axarquia, with the Trapiche Drinking Water Treatment Plant; the Fuengirola and Río de Guadalmansa boreholes, portable desalination plants, and the Guadarranque canal boreholes. Another measure are the upgrading of water transport pipes in the ports of Algeciras (Cádiz) and Carboneras (Almería) to unload drinking water from ships and transferred it to the drinking water treatment plants.
Water storage tanks in the Almanzora Valley (Almeria); improved storage in Santa Olalla del Cala and the villages of Cueva del Moral, Monteblanco, and Almonaster la Real (Huelva), and a floating intake (for near-surface water) on the Guadarranque reservior.
The decree's foresees an investment of 30 million euros in the following infrastructures: In the Corumbel System (Condado pipeline in Huelva); in the Barbate System (supply pipeline to Tarifa (Cadiz); in the Campo de Gibraltar System (Pinar del Rey wells, supply to the northern area of San Roque, Guadiaro and El Tesorillo reservoirs, and wells on the Guadiaro river); Viñuela-La Axarquía System (La Rosaleda pumping, Guadalhorce-Limonero and Axarquía System, and El Atabal) and in the Cuevas de Almanzora System.
This fourth decree totals 500 million euros in water infrastructure works inclding the three previous decrees.
Decree-Law 30-2020 to speed up the procedures in the declaration of drought in hydrographic districts.
Decree-Law 2/2022, of 29 March, A mobilisation of resources of 141.5 million.
Decree-Law 3/2023 of 25 April, A foreseen investment of 163 million euros.
The precursor Decree 178/2021 of 15 June 2021 from Regional Ministry of Agriculture, approved by the Governing Council
22-01-2024 The Junta plans a system to pump water between Campo de Gibraltar and the Costa del Sol.
The Campo de Gibraltar and the Axarquia region of Malaga will have a water interconnection within six months.
The sending and receiving of water between all these areas will be possible when the Rojas pumping works in Churriana, Malaga, which will double its capacity and whose first stone was laid this Monday, are completed. It is a reversible pumping station that will provide 12 cubic hectometres [per year].
The circuit will also require the completion of the works on the pipeline being executed in the northern area of San Roque, scheduled for next spring and valued at 19.5 million euros. The Agriculture minister of the Junta Carmen Crespo pointed out that the sale of water to the Costa del Sol is conditional on there being sufficient reserves in the reserviors of Campo del Gibraltar. This would be 80 hM3 which can supply Campo de Gibraltar for two years. The Charco Redondo and Guadarranque reserviors currently hold 38 hm3 or 24% of there capacity.
"We already have 300 million euros executed or in execution in Malaga, a figure that will rise to 400 million euros with the new decree." Crespo stressed but made no mention of the Gibralmedina dam project, the reservoir to regulate the River Guadiaro which awaits publication of the technical details. Crespo did vindicate the "five years of PP Junta in which we have not stopped implementing actions to alleviate the effects of the drought", while regretting that "in 37 years [of PSOE Junta] nothing was done to prepare Andalucia for this situation". Source
06-01-2024 Andalucia looks for water under the rocks to alleviate the drought.
After five years of staring at the sky, the administrations are launching a desperate search for the water with iniciatives of varying cost, scope and focus. These is one common characteristic: they are urgent. On the table are works, portable desalination plants, boreholes, the reopening of wells, the capture of underground rivers and the possibility [and preparation] if necessary, of supplying large cities with water brought in by ship. The regional government calls it the Drought Plus Strategy.
The situation is acute in areas such as Axarquia, with their reservoir at La Viñuela below 7.5%, and becoming more and more depleted by the day. A surface pump project will squeeze out what little water is left. [Unlike the reservoirs of the western Costa de Sol, (Concepción, Guadalteba, Guadalhorse. Conde de Guadalhorse) largly supplying drinking water ] La Viñuela largely supplied the 13,000 hectares of subtropical crops [mangos and avocados] that have proliferated in the area in recent decades. Some sources now put their cultivation at 16,000 hectares. 230,000 people live in the Axarquia region, and they were [the first] residents forced to face night-time water cuts.
In the far north of Andalusia, 80,000 residents of Los Pedroches and Guadiato, in Cordoba, have to collect water from a tanker every day. They have been doing so since April, when the Sierra Boyera reservoir dried up completely. It was the first to do so in Spain. La Colada reservoir was to be their emergency resource however the supply WAS found to be non-drinkable. Source
04-12-2024 Hidralia in Estepona advises client of water cuts in higher areas
In order to be able to guarantee a 24-hour water supply in the municipality [Town]. Due to the current situation where ACOSOL has cut the daily water supplied to the municipality by 20%. In order to maintain the current water resources as much as possible, we are obliged to lower the water pressure and carry out night-time supply cuts in the higher areas from 00:00h until 06:00h. The supply cuts will affect the following areas:
• El Marqués
• Montebiarritz
• Norte Atalaya
• Parque de la Naturaleza
• Polígono Industrial
• La Lobilla
• Calvario
• Norte Seghers
• Las Mesas
• Reserva de Estepona, calle Espronceda y Calancha
• Estepona Golf
• Buenas Noches
• Cancelada Norte
• La Resina
29-11-2023 The Junta will install portable desalination plants in Marbella and the Axarquia region to tackle the droughtThe president of the Andalusian government, Juanma Moreno, has announced that they will approve a fourth drought decree.
Axarquia is awaiting the construction of a desalination plant, so that the portable plant will meet one of the demands that the farmers of the region have been making for months. The Mayor of Vélez-Málaga, reported that a site had been found near the current treatment plant, north of the Nacional 340.
Also in Axarquia, the irrigators are benefiting the most from reclaimed water as they currently have access to water from the wastewater treatment plants of Torrox-IARA, Torrox-arroyo Manzano, Algarrobo, Rincón de la Victoria and, soon, from Peñón del Cuervo. This will provide 22.5 cubic hectometres for irrigation.
In order to comply with the measures stipulated by the Junta de Andalucía, municipalities such as Almáchar, Vélez-Málaga, Benamargosa, El Borge, Iznate, Sedella, Periana and Torrox are cutting off water to their inhabitants on a daily basis, especially at night, in order to guarantee water during the day.
He also announced that they will install a portable desalination plant for Marbella and another for La Axarquía. He also explained that they are going to install floating water intakes in La Viñuela that will allow them to "extract water at low storage levels".
Work will also be carried out the large Andalusian ports to unload ships with up to 100,000 cubic metres of water. Source
13-10-2023 Costa del Sol towns to discuss joint measures to tackle extreme drought situation
The Junta de Andalucía has raised the water-saving requirements for local town halls from 10 to 20 per cent. At a meeting of the Junta de Andalucía's water management committee at the end of last week it was decided that water-saving demands on local authorities would be stepped up in certain areas.
In the case of Malaga province, the towns and villages in the Guadalhorce valley, Malaga city and on the western Costa del Sol will have to reduce their water use by 20 per cent instead of the 10 per cent in force until now. This brings the rest of the province in line with the Axarquía district east of Malaga, where towns have been obliged to reduce their demand for mains drinking water by 20 per cent since July.
The drought level on the western Costa del Sol was raised at the Junta's meeting last Friday from "severe" to "exceptional".
This week town halls on the western Costa del Sol decided to bring in one single set of rules that would apply to all eleven municipalities that form part of the Mancomunidad authority in that area. Similarly, the 14 towns and villages on the eastern Costa del Sol that are supplied through the public water company, Axaragua, are set to meet next week to discuss a joint approach to saving water as the drought crisis worsens in the area.
Water is being transferred from Malaga city to the Axarquía at a rate of up to 320 litres per second [only 10 hM3 per year], as well as from the Chíllar river in Nerja at a rate of around 80 litres per second [only 2.5 hM3 per year].Source
01-10-2023 Urgent measures in the exceptional drought situation on western Costa del Sol
Western Costa del Sol as established in the Special Drought Plan of the DHCMA, the following measures have been adopted to be applied from the 1st of October, with the aim of reducing the demand for urban supply by at least 10%.
The use of water is PROHIBITED in the following cases:
- Irrigation of golf courses.
- Refilling private swimming pools.
- Washing cars outside authorised establishments.
- Ornamental fountains that do not have a closed water circuit,
- Use of public showers.
- Any other non-essential use.
The watering of gardens, parks or green areas, both public and private, will be reduced to a maximum of 3 days a week.
- Those public green areas that have an alternative irrigation network of recycled or raw water will make use of it.
- Streets and public and private roads will be washed with non-potable water from wells, except for the use of pressure washers with sprayers for sanitary reasons. Source
02-08-2023 Junta and State governemt reach agreamant on the future Axarquia desalination plant.
Both administrations sign a protocol that leaves the financing in the hands of the central government while the regional government will be responsible for providing the land once its location is decided. there was no deadlines in the agreement. [It also subsiquently turned out that the central government was expecting the regional government to manage the project and vice versa] Source
05-07-2023 Five towns in La Axarquía begin night time water cuts.
Five municipalities are starting night-time water cuts and others are studying measures. La Viñuela reservoir is now at 9% capacity, its historic minimum. The Axarquia region of Malaga is the first large Andalusian region to implement water cuts. Five municipalities of total 90,000 residents face supply cuts during the early hours of the morning. These are El Borge, Almáchar, Iznate, Benamargosa and the capital of the area, Vélez-Málaga. Source
20-07-2022 Axaragua asks the municipalities of Axarquia to reduce water consumption by 20%.
Axaragua, the water company of the Axarquia, has formally asked the municipalities of the region to establish savings plans to reduce water consumption by 20%. This was proposed at the General Meeting of the Association of Municipalities of the Costa del Sol Axarquia. This measure is one of the steps included in the drought decree of the Junta de Andalucía. The state of exceptional drought declared in the area covered by la Viñuela reservoir in Decree 178/2021, of 15 June 2021.
The additional measures detailed in the decree are:
The prohibition of using drinking water for washing streets.
Filling private swimming pools, but not hotel nor municipal pools.
watering gardens, public and private parks and golf courses.
Washing cars except authorised establishments.
Using ornamental fountains without a closed water circuit.
Using public showers and public fountains.
The decree also states that water unfit for human consumption may be used for the survival irrigation of gardens, public parks and golf courses, being restricted to a maximum of 200 cubic metres per hectare per month.
[This is in effect the first area of Andalucia to come under water restrictions]
Article 4 of the decree and Plan Especial de Sequía de la DHCMA (Demarcación Hidrográfica de las Cuencas Mediterráneas) of 07/05/2021, provides for town halls to increase their use (or extraction) of underground resourses. This is Zona con Regulación (ZR) Superficial del Sistema Viñuela-Axarquía incluye a los siguientes 15 municipios malagueños: Almáchar, Benamargosa, Benamocarra, El Borge, Comares, Cútar, Iznate, Macharaviaya, Moclinejo, Nerja, Rincón de la Victoria, Vélez-Málaga, Totalán, Algarrobo, Torrox. Source
25-04-2023 The third drought decree in Andalucia - 163 million Euro for 184 cubic hectometres of water.
The Regional Minister of Agriculture, Carmen Crespo, has presented the third drought decree-law. The minister was blunt in acknowledging that Andalucia "is affected by climate change" and that "The drought is here to stay". This third drought decree will cost 163 million euros with the aim of achieving 184 cubic hectometres [ per year ] for water supply and irrigation.
The decree-law aims to combat the "shortage" of water and will mainly promote new works to "take advantage of regenerated water", the construction of "pipelines", the "improvement of supply", the search for "new water sources" and the "reduction of losses" of water. In total "25 new hydraulic infrastructures" for an amount of 120 million euros of which 40% will be for waste water treatment plants to provide recycled water for irrigation. These works will be in four provinces; Malaga, Huelva, Almeria and Granada.
This third decree also includes a package of aid for Andalucian farmers, stockbreeders and fishermen amounting to 43 million euros. Source
12-03-2023 Malaga's El Atabal desalination plant improvement works are complete.
The plant was visited by Carmen Crespo Agriculture councillor of the Junta de Andalucía. The improvement works which cost 2.3m € have resulted in a 10% increase in capacity of 6.9 Hm3. [It is probably maintenance work to revert the 10% loss of production casused by aging membranes, thus capacity is the 60 Hm3.
Crespo then went to EDAR (Waste Water tratment plant) of Algarobo. "Adding both actions together, the Junta is providing an additional 8 hm³ of water to the province of Malaga, which will especially benefit the Axarquia region." [This suggests the output of the Algarobo plant is only 1.1 hm3. The El Atabal desalination plant does not suply Axarquia but Malaga city.] Source
03-04-2022 Junta begins to transfer water from Costa del Sol west to Axarquia.
The Junta starts this Monday the transfer of water from the Western Costa del Sol to Rincón de la Victoria and the coastal towns west of Vélez-Málaga with a flow of 100 litres per second. The aim of supplying Axarquia's towns, which will in turn save water in the Viñuela reservior. [100 litres per second is 3.1 hm3 per year] Source
02-02-22 Junta invest 13m in Malaga's El Atabal desalation plant
The Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Sustainable Development is to invest 3.15 million euros in a project to increase the capacity of the El Atabal desalination plant. The works, as reported, consist of enlarging the 24 osmosis racks, as well as refurbishing the second stage feed pumps, and the piping and connections of the new pressure boxes to the feed, reject and outlet manifolds. [No information was released about increase in production volumes.] The plant was constructed in 2005 from an investment of 64 million euro, commissioned by the Ministry of the Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs. The plant is run by EMASA the Malaga city water company. Source
29-10-2021 The sub tropical at risk from the lack of water in Viñuela
[An article written from the point of view of the farmers.] "With the water from the reservoir you can't work miracles. What we need is for the purified water from the Vélez-Málaga plant to be put into service and for the tertiary to be extended in order to have the full flow, joining those that reach the Peñón del Cuervo with Rincón, those of Algarrobo and those of Torrox", said Campos, who estimates that a total of 17 cubic hectometres could be obtained for irrigation. "The regenerated water is a great help but we need other investments," said the president of the Junta de Regantes del Guaro, who has already requested a meeting with the Regional Ministry of the Environment to raise the demands of the irrigators.
Since the avocado began to be cultivated in the 70s, and mango at the end of the 80s, its growth has been exponential. In 1984, the Guaro irrigation area was declared of national interest, and five years later the Guaro Plan was approved, which decreed the conversion to irrigation of some 8,900 hectares. At that time, many of the traditional crops of La Axarquía were replaced by mangoes and avocados. According to the Gabinete de Estudios de la Naturaleza de la Axarquía (GENA-Ecologista en Acción), there are currently around 13,000 hectares which need 64 cubic hectometres of water per year.
It is precisely water that marks the dichotomy of the subtropicals, which have gone from being the economic engine of the region to the cause of its possible water collapse, in fact, in comparison with the real estate boom, ecologists are already calling it "the bubble of the subtropicals". Source
03-09-2021 Junta de Andalucía has had to undertake emergency works to improve the efficiency of the Viñuela-Axarquía water
Among others, repair works in tunnels and diversion dams to take advantage of all the water. These actions are at 30% completion and have required an investment of 566,600 euros. The irrigation communities and agricultural associations are also demanding the works that will allow the use of regenerated water from the treatment plants in the area, which would be around 9 cubic hectometres and the use of the Chíllar wells for human supply, which would provide 5.2 cubic hectometres.
Work is also underway on the bypass from Malaga city's La Concepción or Limonero reservoir to La Viñuela, which will allow surplus water to reach La Axarquía. [There is not realy any 'suprpus' however the situation in Axarquia is more acute.] The work has a budget of 1.4 million euros and began in July 2021 with a completion period of eight months. Source
08-08-2021 The Junta reduce the water the to farmers of La Axarquia.
The Malaga water resources committee yesterday proposed reducing by a third the contribution for agricultural irrigation in the Axarquia region in view of the extreme drought situation of Lake Viñuela reservoir. The irrigators will have 2,000 cubic metres per hectare per year 2021/2 compared to the 3,000 cubic metres they had last year following the previous water cut.
"This is a forecast because there has been no rainfall and there are no forecasts that there will be. If the situation improves, which it should, the contribution will be changed" clarified the regional delegate for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries in Malaga, Fernando Fernández Tapia.
"We are aware of the water resources we have, and that farmers have to tighten their belts again. It is true that there has been quite a big drop in the reservoir and irrigation will have to be adjusted a lot," said the technician from the Axarquia Young Farmers' Association (Asaja), Benjamín Faulí. "The situation is complicated and we have to hold on. The mango season has started and the avocado season seems to have started too, the bacon variety is already being harvested", Faulí pointed out, who nevertheless recalled that last hydrographic year, "the farmers managed to save a cubic hectometre of water". The head of fruit and vegetables for Asaja Malaga also demanded that in addition to the emergency works that are being carried out in the area, "we should also be able to save one cubic hectometre of water".
Rio Seco farmers say there are around 13,000 hectares which need 64 Hm3 of water per year. Therefore 1.000 hectares needs 5 hm3 per year or 1 hm3 per year waters 200 hectares.
20-01-2021 Junta hope to have ready this summer the connection between Concepcion and Viñuela.
The Junta de Andalucía will sign "in the next few days" the contract for the construction of the Churriana bypass, a project that will connect the supply networks of the east and west Costa del Sol, from the reservoir of La Concepción to that of La Viñuela. Estimated budget of 1.4 million euros. This was announced this Wednesday on a visit to the Axarquia town by the Andalusian Government delegate in the province, Patricia Navarro, who estimated that the work could be completed before next summer.
"We are going to be able to connect the reservoir, which has reserves at 70% of its capacity in the area where it rains most, in Marbella, with La Viñuela, which is at barely 30%, despite being the largest in the province."
Navarro recalled that a few weeks ago the use of 5.5 cubic hectometres [per year] of reclaimed water from the Vélez-Málaga treatment plant was authorised for agricultural irrigation by the 'Junta Central de Usuarios del Guaro', for 2,700 hectares of crops, for an initial period of two years. Navarro also referred to the project to provide the municipality of Vélez-Málaga with a [new ? ] wastewater treatment plant, which will also have a tertiary system for water reuse.
Navarro pointed out "that almost certainly the new treatment plant at La Viñuela will already have the tertiary treatments necessary for the reuse of reclaimed water". "This is the way forward, and we must continue to add additional resources, beyond the rain, because there will be no other way to move forward and reap success, as we are doing now in terms of agriculture and exports, which are feeding our economy and our GDP". Source
27-11-2019 The Junta studies a battery of measure in view of the worrying situation of the level of reserviors in Malaga.
The delegate of Agriculture in Malaga, Fernando Fernández, has assured this Wednesday that the Andalusian Government will implement a "battery of measures in the short, medium and long term" to deal with the situation of the reservoirs in Malaga. Fernández pointed out that the hydrological year in the province has started badly and that 2019 is being "very dry", so that the capacity of the reservoirs in the province is "at 54%", a very low amount.
It is 72% in the Guadalhorce Reservior and Limonero Reservior, while that of La Concepción Reservior and La Viñuela are around 30%. He assured that until now "no measures had been planned" and that work is being carried out "at an accelerated pace" to raising public awareness of this "precious commodity that is water". Andalusian government has launched the campaign 'Turn off the tap, we have no water to lose'. Source
22-04-2018 The Junta disregards crops above elevation 140 in the distribution of irrigation in the Axarquia region.
After years of allowing irrigation with water from Lake Viñuela reservoir to plantations located above 140m above sea level the Consejería de Medio Ambiente y Ordenación del Territorio of the Junta de Andalucía has decided to stop allocating water to this higher area.
The situation is causing internal conflicts in many irrigation communities in the region, especially in those with members on both sides of the 140m elevation. Those below 140m are concerned they do not have their resources guaranteed due to the drought. It is estimated that in Axarquia there are 5,500 hectares of crops below the 140m level and around 4,000 hectares above it. Source
[From this date onwards we see an increasing numbe rof news articles originating for the Junta de Andalucia communications departments.]
17-12-2017 The worst of the drought is ahead: the lack or rain will multiply the losses in the next harvests.
The Unión de Pequeños Agricutores y Ganaderos (Union of Small Farmers and Stockbreeders) puts the losses in Andalucia due to the drought at 1,050 million euros. The irrigation system in the Guadalquivir basin is in an emergency situation. The 1991-1995 drought caused a reduction in agricultural production of between 1,202 and 1,803 million euros. The current drought has been aggravated by three previous very dry years which, together with the low rainfall of the 2016-2017 hydrological year, has led to the agronomic drought in a significant parts of the Andalucia.
Avocados and mangoes are at risk. The water restrictions on irrigation began on the 1st December 2017 in Axarquia (Malaga). The regional government plans to activate a drought decree in January 2018. The main European supply of avocados and mangoes has watched its main source of water supply, the Lake Viñuela reservoir dwindling. It is currently at 22.7% of its capacity, with 37.6 cubic hectometres.
01-12-2017 The Government has excluded Andalusia from the drought decree
The National Government has not included Andalusia in the in the draft law on measures to alleviate the drought. It allows exemptions and benefits in user rates, as well as the activation of extraordinary resources. Andalusian basins have already been in an emergency situation for two months. The Guadalquivir Confederation has requested its incorporation into the regulation. Source
01-12-2017 Suptropical fruit growers will see their water cut by 60%
La Axarquía is to be the first area to suffer water restrictions due to the drought situation. Levels in La Viñuela reservoir have fallen significantly, to just 38 hM3 or 23% of its total capacity. After a meeting with the regional government the local irrigation water system committee agreed to reduce the use of water by 60%. This leaves the growers east of Malaga with only 10 hM3 during current water year [up to September 2018], compared to the 23 hM3 in the 2016-2017 season. Source: Sur in English.
23-11-2017 Malaga faces another drought with a lack of infrastructure to deal with it
The regional government is planning the measures that will need to be taken if there is insufficient rainfall. After four dry years and lower than average rainfall, Malaga province is in danger of drought and the situation is deemed serious enough for the president of the regional government, Susana Díaz, tells the Andalucian parliament this week that a decree is being drawn up to be brought into force if the situation does not improve.
She also called on the central government to carry out associated projects which have been outstanding for some time. such as the pipeline from the Iznájar reservoir in Cordoba province to the northern Antequera area, which was supposed to have been built two years ago.
Among the projects still pending, which have barely progressed in all this time, is a new dam on the Río Verde which would increase the capacity of Marbella’s La Concepción reservoir from the present 62 hM3 to 180 hM3. Another is the pipeline between the Costa del Sol and Guadalhorce to La Axarquía, so that water can be passed from the western region, which has the most rainfall, to the east, when necessary. The present connection between the Costa del Sol and Malaga can only transfer 5 hm3 a year from the Río Verde.
The Junta says new lines would have to be laid between Marbella and Fuengirola and from there to Malaga. At a meeting on Thursday the Junta promised to improve the pipe network on the Costa del Sol so that more water can be transferred from La Concepción reservoir.
If the drought is officially announced, it will be the third in Malaga province this century. The first, in 2005, affected the western Costa del Sol, the Guadalhorce valley, Malaga city and Torremolinos. The next, in 2008, was in La Axarquía. Both remained in force until mid-2009. Source: Sur in English
03-08-2017 Andalucia looses 25% of its drinking water and irrigation water for the drought.
After more than two years of below-average rainfall, Andalusia finds itself in a drought that is affecting the provinces of Jaén and Almería, as well as several areas of Málaga, Córdoba and Granada. "The drought is established in the eastern third of Andalucia with te most affected areas are the extreme north-east of the region.
In just one year, the region has lost 25% of the water available water for human consumption. Andalusia's 200 reservoirs are at 45% of their capacity (5,566 of 12,051 hm3). The Guadalquivir basin is at 'pre-alert' status. One of its subsystems; Salado de Morón is at emergency status. Two two are on alert; La Bolera and San Clemente. However, for the president of the Confederación Hidrográfica del Guadalquivir (CHG), Antonio Ramón Guinea said the data "are not alarming", stating that "it is not a deep state of drought, as we had in other periods. Rainfall has not been far from average, although it has rained badly". A state of alert means there is a guarantee of supply for three years.
Luis Babiano, manager of Aeopas (Asociación Española de Operadores Públicos de Abastecimiento y Saneamiento), said "The situation at the moment is not generalised throughout Andalusia, but it does have a profound impact and shows that we were not prepared for such a situation. The logical thing to do, for example, would have been to expand the Carboneras desalination plant". The former advisor to the Ministry of the Environment during the time of Rosa Aguilar regrets that "first the problem has been denied and the second is going to be panic and improvised policies, which are going to lead to shortages and hasty works. This is what is called the hydrological-illogical cycle, as the Americans ironically call it. In other words, we don't realise the problem until it is upon us".
Of the 26 regions into which Andalusia is divided, 22 are in a situation of moderate rainfall drought and the remaining four are in a severe situation: Penibética (Córdoba), La Loma (Jaén), Sierra de Cazorla (Jaén), Sierra de Segura (Jaén). According to the Junta's drought report, "in the short term, a worsening of the drought is expected in the regions that are severely affected, as well as in the Sierra de Cádiz and Campo de Tabernas (Almería). Source
18-05-2015 La Junta studies reserving the water from Lake Viñuela for human use
A month later the Junta strikes back. Carmen Ortiz, Consejera (minister) for Agriculture of the Junta de Andalucia (Environment and Territorial Planning ministry) announced at a meeting in Antequera that the regional government is considering reserving the La Viñuela reservoir only for supplying water the population. It would meet the needs of the 10,000 hectares of irrigated land which required 53 hm3 per year with groundwater and recycled water.
The tropical fruit farmers insist on irrigation rights with water from La Viñuela reservior to land above 140m above sea level, as established in the 'Guaro Plan'. The Junta de Andalucía estimates that 5,000 hectares of subtropical crops are farmed above the 140m elevation which do not have water rights. Another 5,200 hectares are farmed below 140m elevation do have the right to use the water from Lake Viñuela reservoir. The possibility of using the water from La Viñuela only for human consumption has taken most of the agricultural sector in the area by surprise.
The current Hydrological Plan for the Mediterranean Basin allocates a total of 23 cubic hectometres per year of water from the La Viñuela reservoir for irrigation in La Axarquía, while 22.5 hm3 per year are reserved for human supply. The 200,000 inhabitants of of the municipalities of Vélez-Málaga, Rincón de la Victoria, Algarrobo, Torrox and the towns of the Benamargosa river valley, Benamocarra, Benamargosa, Iznate, Cútar, El Borge and Almáchar, Totalán, Moclinejo and Macharaviaya, need 15 hm3 per year. Source
28-04-2015 Farmers demand an increase in the quotas to irrigate the more land for sub-tropical crops.
La Axarquía is the main production area for subtropical fruit in Europe, mainly avocados and mangos producing 65,000 tonnes per year. Due to the strong demand from the foreign market the farmers believe there should increase the irrigated cultivation area supplied form Lake Viñuela. Source
Spanish provincial newspapers
Links to the news listings, by water shortage related keywords.websites, of the Andalucia media group newspapers and government. Keywords are Sequia (Drought), Agua (Water) Embalses (Reservoirs), Lluvias (Rainfall), Regadios (Irrigation), EDAR (Waste water treatment works)