Palma on drought alert, council recommends reducing water consumption

According to the councillor for the Environment and Animal Welfare, Ramon Perpinyà, this measure could lead to savings of between 8 and 10 percent. The councillor even said that the Can Negret fountain “is in the process of desertification” but assures that “the water supply is guaranteed”.

Perpinyà warned that if there was no rainfall in February or March, then the Balearic government would be in charge of declaring a state of drought in the municipality of Palma.

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The state of pre-alert has only been declared twice before, in 2016 and 2019. This would be the third occasion on which the drought pre-alert has been declared, while a state of drought has never been declared in Palma before.

Perpinyà said “we will work with large consumers such as airport authority AENA or hoteliers to make a recommendation to reduce water consumption”.

In the case of domestic consumers, it is also recommended that they save water. Another of the measures proposed by the council is a 50 percent reduction in the extraction of water from the wells in the northern area, and at the beginning of December water extraction will stop.

In addition, water will be bought from the desalination plant. Among the measures that will be proposed to citizens, who account for 68 percent of water consumption compared to 8 percent of tourist consumption, are turning off the tap while brushing teeth or shaving, reducing water pressure in buildings, not using the toilet as a wastepaper basket or using washing machines and dishwashers at maximum capacity.