Raised levels of consumption of water during the summer months is a major factor contributing to the threat of water shortages in the coming winter. If the rate of consumption which a popular tourist area like Malaga province experiences in August were to continue, our water reserves would be sufficient for just six more months.
In the hot, dry, tourist-filled summer months, even greater quantities of water are used to clean the streets, feed the gardens and fill the pools, in order to maintain the area as an attractive tourist destination. On top of this, the huge swell in the local population over this period places even greater stress on the level of domestic water-use. But the province of Malaga faces this current crisis with its reservoirs at just 22.2 per cent of their capacity and the situation is becoming more serious, year-on-year, as the long-term dry-spell continues.
Concerned about this steadily deteriorating situation, Cuenca Mediterranea and Emasa have been looking at alternative sources of supply, including natural underground sources and desalination plants, whilst, at the same time, taking positive steps to increase public awareness of the very real dangers of drought. Although not too significant, some minor water restrictions are already being imposed in the worst-affected areas in Axarquia, Guadalhorce and the capital.
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