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The Palma city council is not prepared to cede control of water to the Balearic government, and if it is forced to do so by law it will demand compensation running into thousands of millions of pesetas. The reservoirs alone have been valued at 15'000 million pesetas by Maria Crespo, president of EMAYA, the city's water board. She said that the government's plans to set up an organism which would manage thw water supplies of the whole island were unacceptable. She added that it was not logical for Palma to have to apply to the government every time it needed water. She also pointed out that at the moment, EMAYA supplies 70 per cent of the population of Majorca. Crespó said that the city council had no plans to cede all its water amenties, adding that if the government persists in its intention to take control, it will have to purchase the amenities. Added to the 15'000 million pesetas for the reservoirs, were 2'000 million pesetas for the cost of the treatment plant and 900 million pesetas invested in improving the networks of pipes, and other unspecified amounts which will also be claimed.