By Kevin Fraser Park • Published: 10 Feb 2024 • 8:24
Is sharing a bath the way forward? Photo: Pexels CC / Andrea Piacquadio
The Commission for Drought Management in Andalucia met on Friday February 9 and approved furthermeasures to combat the drought.
This is despite the rain that was falling while the meeting took place. The main restriction imposed is that a limit has been set for urban consumption in areas affected by the drought which includes all of the Western Costa del Sol.
As a result, in all the municipalities of the Western Costa del Sol, including Mijas, Marbella and Estepona, urban water consumption may not exceed 160 litres per person, per day.
It is not a matter of going to people’s homes to see how much is being used, but of monitoring the volume at the entrance to the municipal water tanks or at the collective network intakes. From there, the authorities will be able to adopt the necessary measures to limit the flow at source in the event that the volume is exceeded.
The State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) activated a yellow warning for rain in practically the entire province of Malaga on the day that the Drought Commission met. However, it seems that the rain that fell hardly made an impact on the reservoir levels.
The reservoir with the highest accumulated water in the last 12 hours is La Concepción, with 23.3 litres per square metre followed by La Viñuela, with 17.8 litres per square metre. At other reservoirs there was little noticeable difference to water levels.
To put 160 litres of water per person per day into perspective, baths on average hold 150 litres of water; a 5-minute shower uses around 75 – 90 litres of water, which increases to 160 litres of water for a 10-minute shower and 240 litres of water for a 15-minute shower. And if you were thinking of inviting friends round to share your jacuzzi, bear in mind that your hot tub probably holds over 1,000 litres, sometimes as much as 1,500 litres.
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Kevin was born in Scotland and worked in marketing, running his own businesses in UK, Italy and, for the last 8 years, here in Spain. He moved to the Costa del Sol in 2016 working initially in real estate. He has a passion for literature and particularly the English language which is how he got into writing.
I think the time has come to scale back future development on the Costa del Sol
Bad swimming pool management demands high back washing levels. Worse pool cleaners often vacuum to waste due to algae build up. All this can be avoided by NOT using chlorine tabs and granules..learn pool chemistry
I agree. Already there are too many dwellings for the water resources to support. In addition the change from cultivating semi arid crops, Olives etc, to subtropical crops, avocados, mangos, is creating a crisis in the campo, especially the Axarquia. Illegal boreholes are appearing everywhere. Alhaurin El Grande is surrounded by avocado groves; where are they getting the water from?
Spain is pretty close to the Med. Why not build a few desalination plants?
Just a humble thought!
Good idea. Who will pay for the plants? This can be worked out. Someone has to make the iniative!
So the people who conserve water are to suffer because of the foolhardy types who waste it. The rationing to two hours a day used last time was fairer and more effective. It led to people storing their own supply which added to the total amount available at times of shortage.
Couldn’t agree more the infrastructure just isn’t here. Don’t get me started on the destruction of the trees please. The development by El Chapparrel is a good one for this an awful development in itself without taking the trees into consideration and it’s all for money and that that goes into back pockets
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