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UPDATE (25.03.24) Along with the already underway improvements at the Desalination Plant on the Istán Road outside Marbella, comes an exciting announcement from Acosol – the publicly owned water management company. The Junta de Andalucia has given the green light to an investment valued at €35m with work (now being subject to tender) being estimated to take twenty months to increase currently improving supply to 4300 litres per second. It is suggested this is sufficient to satisfy the needs of a population of around 2m people.
By way of comparison Sur in English is reporting that the usual summertime (July and August) requirement of the region is around 3000 litres per second.
This must bring comfort to those of us who are based here and are concerned about the long term viability of our homes on the Costa del Sol. This summer’s restrictions will give us a chance to reappraise our use and conservations of water and I’d encourage all to consider my suggestions – repeated below – Marbella Needs You…..To Save Water.
As typically tends to happen during Easter Week the heavens open and this year is no exception. The weather services are predicting that Marbella will have a substantial rainfall to add to the reservoir’s precious resources.
STOP PRESS I am delighted to report that as a result of rain yesterday (07.03.24) and further rain overnight that we received at least 25 mm or one inch of rain in 18 hours. It’s not enough but certainly a start. More has fallen this morning (today is predicted a further 21 mm) and heavy rain is forecast tomorrow (circa 40 mm).
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You don’t see the Spanish word for rain “Lluva” (pronounced “Youvia”) in the name of the coast that surrounds Marbella. It’s called the Costa del Sol (the Sun Coast) for a very good reason and, usually, that’s how we’re happy for the coast to be depicted. However, after several months of scarse rain our gardens, pools and reservoirs are crying out for a decent downpour.
Rain and generally stormy conditions were forecast for last Saturday capturing a combination of excitement and desperation. The weather system that had battered Portugal was due to dump a moderate amount of rain on Malaga province. Various yellow weather warnings were issued. Anticipation was dashed by an initial fifteen minutes of light rain accompanied by squalling wind with a further shower in the mid-afternoon that was a little heavier. It’s just not enough.
You’ll have understood from previous posts that like most problems, recognizing that they exist, is the precursor to solving them. Marbella Town Hall and the regional and provincial governments in Seville and Malaga, respectively, have grasped the nettle and are taking proactive steps to address this issue seeking to solve or, at least, partially placate the balance between demand and supply. See here How Marbella Is Solving its Water Crisis.
Several strategies continue to be explored across Malaga province include re-opening old wells. At least 36 initiatives (brackets show the number of projects at each stage) are in one of five stages of realization: initial study (3); planning stage (12); under construction (10) and imminent and operative (11). They vary from desalination of the Guadalhorce reservoir, to the damming of the Guadiaro river and reclaiming of Malaga city’s wastewater from the treatment plant in the Axarquia.
We now hear that from the end of 2024, according to the regional minister in charge, Christina Crespo, that Marbella’s desalination plant – a priority – will be cranked up to deliver circa 36 cubic hectometres annually. An extension to this capability, called the “ETAP Verde Extension” is also currently in the planning stage and this is expected to deliver an additional 135 cubic hectometres, annually.
Such is the seriousness with which the regional government see the challenges at hand that now 42% of Andalucia’s public works are dedicated to water management. Since 2019, a total investment of around €400m has been needed to address these tasks.
We have seen other plans, which the local authority seems willing to consider, for up to eighty Boreal Light’s solar powered reverse osmosis desalination units, capable of producing, daily, 2,400 m3 of drinking water in a sustainable way, to be installed around Malaga province. The total costs of buying and installing these units is said to be around €75m but such an investment to improve the Costa del Sol ability to be more water-secure seems viable.
Those of us who live locally are acutely aware of the current drought restrictions in place. Effectively, we can use maximum of 160 litres per day per person. No pool refilling and no garden irrigation. As a result, we have needed to radically change our behavior towards water conservation and use. I believe this should be a permanent state.
I cannot overstate the importance of a regular supply of clean drinkable water. We all share a responsibility to conserve wherever we can. Please act on my recommendations in an earlier post Marbella Needs You…..To Save Water.
Recent reports are, even with the paucity of rain at both at the coast and inland combined with a more prudent approach by our neighborhoods, that the local reservoirs’ deposits has risen from around 16% to now circa 25%.
We still see the Costa del Sol as a magical playground for millions of annual visitors. The summertime population triples so demand for water rises exponentially. Put simply, as an economic imperative, hotel and tourist property need water to fill pools, satiate visitor’s thirsts, irrigate gardens and to wash their sheets and towels.
Even if the local governments are doing an amazing job to offer viable solutions to the current issues these will take time to deliver. I firmly believe they will provide a long term resolution to this ongoing worry and I am prepared to roll with the current difficulties to achieve these goals. However, profligacy in water consumption must be a thing of the past.
Some consolation has been had in mutterings that Easter is usually very wet and may well deliver the much needed heavy rain required to refill parched reservoirs and support the current efforts to avoid summertime restrictions. My subscription to crystal ball gazing has lapsed but should we be fortunate, at the end of March, and I apologize in advance to those seeking a little post-winter Sun, to see some much anticipated downpours its fair to suggest that you may need to consider alternatives to the beach. May I suggest my post What to do in Marbella when it rains?
POST SCRIPT Rain has been forecast for both Thursday and Saturday later this week – let’s see!
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