The Commission for Drought Management met in Málaga yesterday to discuss measures to counter the effects of the drought, including members of the Junta and representatives of ecologists, business sector and unions.
Rules level January 24
Amongst restrictions to be imposed will be a prohibition on using domestic, water supplies for washing down streets, filling private pools, the watering of gardens (both private and public) and parks, watering golf courses, washing cars other than authorised carwashes, fountains without a closed, water circuit, publish showers (beaches) in the case of exceptional drought conditions and serious water shortages.
In the case of towns over 10,000 inhabitants, they will have to adopt municipal contingency plans.
The Chairman, Ramiro Angulo, provided data on the levels of Andalusian reservoirs: Campo de Gibraltar (Guadarranque), Costa del Sol (La Concepción), Guadalhorce (Limonero), Axarquía (Viñuela), Granada (Béznar-Rules), Campo de Dalías (Benínar) and Almería (Cuevas de Almanzora).
Rainfall between October last year and January, fell well below the historic average (30%) for the 5th consecutive year, meaning that reservoirs are getting little replenishment. In the case of Embalse de Limonero, the 2.3 cub/hm recorded is the lowest it has received since records began, during the said time period (Oct/Jan).
The Junta de Andalucía will be in charge of monitoring the amount of water going into municipal water storage and will have the power to restrict it at source, if deemed necessary.
In the case of the coast of Granada (Costa Tropical) if necessary, water will be restricted to 200 litres per person, per day in the upper Río Verde de Almuñécar (Jete, Otívar, Lentejí) and Salobreña. In all of these municipalities, gardens, parks and golf course will only be able to use a ‘survival’ level of watering; i.e., the bare minimum to keep them alive, using only recycled water (unfit for human use) with a limit of 200 cu/metre per hectare, per month.
In the case of private pools, filling and refilling will be strictly prohibited.
As for the upper Río Guadalfeo valley and the Contraviesa (which suffers a moderate scarcity) there will be a 5% reduction for domestic use. This type of restriction will affect Vélez de Benaudalla, La Tahá, El Valle, Los Guájares, Villamena and El Pinar, as well as Albondón, Albuñol, Gualchos, Lújar, Polopos, Rubite and Sorvilán.
All the irrigation associations that take their water from the Sistema Béznar-Rules have agreed to voluntarily reduce their consumption by 30 per cent.
These restrictions will come into force if the situation worsens or continues as it is up to summer.
(News/Noticias: Andalucia)