SE Spain Water Situation Critical - Reservoirs At 10% Of Capacity [View All]

As Spain struggles to cope with the worst drought for 10 years, running water may soon be cut in some parts of the South-east. Taps could run dry in Murcia and Alicante. Reservoirs which supply that part of the country are down to 10 per cent of their capacity after months of severe drought. Up to two million people who are served by those depleted reservoirs could be left having to depend on bottled water.

Spain's Environment Minister Cristina Narbona accused politicians in Alicante and Murcia of being more concerned with building thousands of villas, hotels and golf courses, than managing the water supply. Spain's booming agricultural sector, growing fruit and vegetables in plastic tunnels, is another huge drain on the water supply. In the past week, the amount of water in the Entrepeñas and Buendia reservoirs in central Spain has fallen by five cubic hectometres. More than half of the water reserves are little more than mud and not useful for human consumption.

With a total of only 244 cubic hectometres left, they have reached the point where there is little water remaining in the Segura and Júcar rivers. Those rivers supply drinking water to the homes and businesses in Murcia and the Valencian province of Alicante. Reservoirs in the Segura river are currently at 12 per cent of their normal capacity while those in the Jucar are down to 13 per cent after losing 28 cubic hectometres in the past week alone. It means with water levels so low, residents in Murcia and Alicante may have only a few weeks of running water left. If the expected rains do not arrive in October, then the situation could worsen.

The authorities have admitted the crisis has never been more serious, despite previous bad droughts in 2004 and last year.

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http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article1222824.ece