The drought in Mallorca has consequences for residents and tourists. Municipalities of the popular holiday island are now taking the first measures. The water is turned off for some residents. At another location, showering on the beach is prohibited.
Heat wave after heat wave hits Mallorca. Temperatures above the 40-degree mark have already been measured several times this year on the Balearic island.
This has serious consequences for nature: 93.7 percent, i.e. almost all of Mallorca, is in the early warning stage for extreme drought. The logical consequence: water consumption on the island is increasing rapidly.
As the “Mallorca Magazin” reports, it is back to the pre-Corona level for the first time: In July, a total of 13 million cubic meters of water were used. Responsible for this is not only the heat but also the revival of tourism and population growth.
Mallorca: In Deià, the water was turned off on properties
According to the Balearic government, the water reserves in the reservoirs in the northwest of the Tramuntana mountains are currently around 55 percent – and thus six percentage points above the value in the previous year at this point in time – but the extreme drought in 2022 was not a big issue .
One of the Majorcan villages that was already struggling with the drought at the time is Deià. Additional water tankers had to ensure the supply last year. And measures have already been taken in the artist village this year: the water was turned off prematurely on various properties in the area.
Mallorca: Showering on the beach is now restricted
Now Andratx follows the example. According to “Mallorca Zeitung”, the use of public showers on the municipality’s beaches has only been possible to a limited extent since Tuesday (August 15, 2023).
While they could previously be used around the clock, water now only comes out of the shower heads between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. In addition, private households are asked to reduce water consumption as much as possible.
Andratx is one of the top water consumers in Mallorca, ranking third behind Palma and Calvià. For a population of around 12,000, Andratx buys almost 244,000 cubic meters of water from the Balearic Agency for Water Quality (Abaqua). Together with the two communities mentioned above, this represents 88.8 percent of the drinking water supplied to Mallorca.
By Steven Salentin (sal)