Pollensa council calls for rational use of water

POLLENSA
THE Pollensa town council has issued an urgent plea for people to ration water because of a huge increase in consumption.
A council spokesman said that consumption has shot up from an average of 214.5 litres per person per day in 2001 to 285.5 litres per person per day this year.

This has been attributed mainly to the demand from the tourist sector.
Council sources said that normal demand should be in the region of 150 litres per person per day.
They added that some of the big users in the tourist sector, such as hotels, can consume more than 3'000 tons of water a month.
In the past, the chief wells which supply the Port of Pollensa with water are exploited above their possibilities in the months of July and August, the tourist high season, which means they do not have time to recover. As a result, salt levels rise and the quality of water drops.

However this year, even though consumption is higher than in previous seasons, the quality has been better, thanks to the heavy rain in spring, which recharged the aquifers, according to the council.

It also said that the water supplies have been managed more efficiently and efforts have been made to cut down on the amount of water lost through leaky pipes, a common problem in Majorca. The council has issued a communique addressed to the population in general and tourists, pointing out that water is an essential but limited resource and should never be wasted.