Raise a glass to new water units

Balearic Chief Minister Francesc Antich and the Minister for the Environment Margalida Rosselló, toasted the good health of Palma's new mobile desalination plants yesterday with an ice cool glass of water. The five mobile units based at the San Juan de Dios power station, were officially brought into operation yesterday and together, the units will be supplying an extra 3'500 cubic metres of water per day to the Palma area where residents will also see their water rates increased in order to cover the cost of the mobile units. The five units, which have been operating for the past two days, are the first of a network of units which are being installed in Majorca and will be brought into operation between now and the end of September. Rosselló and Antich were especially pleased about the fact it has taken just 45 days, since the proposal was approved, to bring the first units on line. Antich took the opportunity to take a swipe at central government, pointing out that the mobile operation, is thanks to the local government and the Palma, Calvia and Andratx councils. However, Palma and Andratx councils signed the deal reluctantly as the mobile units will cost the local authorities around 3'000 million pesetas, hence the water rate increase in Palma.