Water loss through leaky pipes cut to 21pc

EMAYA, the Palma water board, spent more than 430.7 million pesetas on improvements to the network of water pipes last year. Most of the money, 244.3 million pesetas, went on the pipes which carry the water into the home, and the balance on pipes from the source to its regulating centres. This has enabled the board to reduce the loss of water through leaky pipes from 23 to 21 per cent, although it is still high. EMAYA also spent 197.4 million pesetas on repairing sewers and rainwater drainage pipes, and a further 226.4 million pesets on extending the network carrying treated water from sewage farms, which is now used for street cleaning and watering some of the parks and gardens in the city. The area where this treated water is now used has more than doubled since 1998.