Water restrictions are relaxed and Málaga returns to normal: the Costa del Sol will be able to consume 250 liters per inhabitant per day

The heavy rains in recent weeks have brought normality after several years in which the reservoirs in Malaga were repeatedly experiencing an alarming shortage of reserves. Water restrictions are further relaxed in the province of Malaga, and notably, on the Costa del Sol, consumption can reach up to 250 liters per inhabitant per day. In the area of Malaga city and Axarquía, the water-saving measures move to 225 liters per inhabitant per day and are also approaching a limit close to what would exist "in a situation of normality," according to Ramón Fernández-Pacheco, the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development of the Junta de Andalucía, while noting that the allocation for irrigation is almost quadrupled. In fact, in the area of Malaga city, it goes from 9 to 30 cubic hectometers, and in Axarquía from 3 to 12.8 cubic hectometers. This was approved at this Tuesday's meeting of the Drought Management Commission of the Andalusian Mediterranean Basin hydrographic demarcation. Specifically, Fernández-Pacheco explained that in the Costa del Sol area, the measure to raise consumption to 250 liters per inhabitant per day - previously it was 225 liters - "would lead us to a situation of normality." Even in the area of Malaga city, in the Guadalhorce-Limonero system which is in a pre-alert situation, the measure consists of increasing from 200 to 225 liters per inhabitant per day, an amount "that Malaga city does not usually consume," according to the minister. "Even being in pre-alert, we would find ourselves de facto in a situation of normality and an allocation for irrigation that would go from the current 9 cubic hectometers to 30 hectoliters cubic," Fernández-Pacheco contextualized. Additionally, in this Guadalhorce-Limonero system "the suspension of the transfer to the Viñuela system is maintained, and according to the Special Drought Plan (PES) of the demarcation, the use of underground resources (Aljaima-Fahala as well as wells of Bajo Guadalhorce) and surface (Aljaima superficial) of the operating system for supply will be maximized, setting a minimum volume of 1 hm3 per month," as stated in another of the adopted agreements. Regarding Axarquía, the minister explained that "it is in a situation of alert but very close to pre-alert." "The measure of increasing from 200 to 225 liters per inhabitant per day means, practically, 90% of what would be a normal allocation and in the case of irrigation, we will go from the current 3 cubic hectometers to 12.8 hm cubic (2,000 m3 per hectare and month)," he said before subscribing to optimism about the situation in this Malaga region, which begins to see the light after being one of the most affected areas of Andalusia. "The measures can be perfectly revised in case it continues raining and we manage to exceed that threshold, which, I insist, is very close," he nuanced about Axarquía, where the allocation for irrigation will be completed with regenerated waters. Likewise, following what is established in the PES, "the use of underground and surface resources of the operating system for urban supply will be maximized, thus maintaining the use of the wells of Chíllar." "The flow from the underground resources of the Chíllar river will be at least 60 l/s and the rest from the La Viñuela reservoir; also, the suspension of the transfer to the Viñuela-Axarquía system from the Guadalhorce-Limonero system is maintained," as indicated among the approved measures. Regarding Campo de Gibraltar, the minister detailed that it also moves to 250 liters per inhabitant per day, "which is a situation of normality," and "the same would happen with irrigation with an allocation of 8 cubic hectometers." "The only system that continues to be in emergency, and therefore there will be no improvement in its situation, will be the Eastern Almeria, since the Cuevas de Almanzora reservoir barely reaches 10%," he added. Currently, the volume of water stored in the reservoirs of the operating systems of the Andalusian Mediterranean Basin hydrographic demarcation amounts to 597.95 hm3, which represents 51.86 percent of the total capacity and 128.90 percent more than the volume of water stored on the same date last year (261.23 hm3). When announcing the new measures, the minister insisted that the rains in recent weeks "in general terms, have provided relief for our aquifer" and have made possible "a general relaxation of the saving measures imposed for supply and for irrigation." Moreover, he recalled that until now the Drought Commission of the Andalusian Mediterranean Basins had not met because it was decided to postpone a month ago the decision-making "to let this storm train pass, let the rain settle and have a reliable picture of what is the situation of the Andalusian reservoirs." In conclusion, the minister reiterated that the Junta de Andalucía brought to the meeting on the drought in the Andalusian Mediterranean basins "a proposal for substantial improvement both for irrigation and for human supply." "The reservoirs have generally been refilled, the aquifers are also much better and it is time to have a gesture both with the municipalities and with the irrigation communities," he added while insisting that these measures "can always be reviewed in case it continues raining in Andalusia and the situation would still improve more." Also, the minister indicated that "the Junta de Andalucía has deployed throughout the territory both the staff of the agricultural county offices and the territorial delegations to analyze what have been the damages of the last rain in the field of Andalusia." "It is true that the rains have generally come very well, since they have achieved a substantial recharge of our aquifer and our reservoirs, but in some specific areas there have indeed been damages that deserve to be evaluated; we are going to analyze what is the situation, what have been those damages, and we will also see what is the position of the Ministry regarding possible aid," he emphasized. Regarding the possibility of articulating aid for the sector, the minister also pointed out that "in any case, the Junta is already activated, both with the mechanisms for detecting these problems and with the financial mechanisms, to activate aid if necessary."