Date Published: 01/10/2024
Costa del Sol bans filling swimming pools as even more water cuts expected
Reservoirs in Malaga have reached a critical new low at just 28.9% of capacity
The Andalucían Government has announced that the existing measures to conserve water in the province of Malaga, including a ban on filling swimming pools, will remain in force until further restrictions are agreed upon by the drought committees.
The decision comes as the region's reservoirs continue to dwindle, with water levels currently at a critically low 28.9% capacity.
According to the regional government, the drought committees will convene in the first ten days of October to discuss and implement additional measures to mitigate the effects of the drought. The meetings are expected to result in further restrictions on water consumption, including increased limits on watering gardens and agricultural activities.
In a statement, the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Ramón Fernández-Pacheco, emphasised the need for responsible water management in light of the Costa del Sol's precarious water situation.
The decisions taken to restrict water earlier in the year were “correct”, he said, as they allowed the area to “save” the peak tourist season.
Now there is “a need to adapt these measures to the new reality”, which he described as “terrible” and “very worrying”.
Fernández-Pacheco reassured residents that the impending restrictions, while necessary, will not pose an insurmountable problem for the population. Nevertheless, he acknowledged that water consumption will decrease significantly in the coming months, underscoring the need for drastic action to conserve the region's dwindling water resources.
As the Costa de Sol waits for news about the upcoming restrictions, Malaga's Association of Property Administrators (CAF) has sent a reminder out to its members to advise them of the current situation:
“The use of water resources fit for human consumption is prohibited for the following uses: street washing, filling private swimming pools, watering gardens, public and private parks, golf courses, washing cars outside authorised establishments, fountains that do not have a closed water circuit, public fountains and pumps”.
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Image: Freepik
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