The heat is on to get mobile water units in operation

The Balearic government wants to see work on installing the mobile desalination plants in Palma, Calvia and Andratx get under way as soon as possible as part of the emergency water plan. All of the mobile units, which could total as many as seven, will be connected to the water mains in the three municipalities and the government believes that the desalination plants will be able to guarantee a water supply throughout the summer. The Balearic government, which now appears to have the water crisis under control, said yesterday that the lack of sufficient facilities and infrastructure has prevented the authorities from tapping more natural sources which have not been used in the region and has prompted those parties involved to approve the costly mobile desalination project. Government sources said that the lack of effective water saving campaigns in the past, the continual extraction of water from wells, especially those located in the Bay of Palma and the hesitancy by local councils to properly manage water resources has all come to a head this year with another long hot summer and a drought on the horizon.