Water Crisis in Spain’s Malaga: August starts with half the water supply compared to last year and 30 towns under restrictions

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MALAGA faces the month of August with a dire water situation, holding only half the amount of water it had a year ago in its reservoirs.

Currently, the seven reservoirs in Malaga have a combined capacity of about 165 cubic hectometres, which is nearly half of the close to 300 cubic hectometres they held just a year ago.

As a consequence of this water scarcity, restrictions have been expanded, impacting approximately one in every three municipalities in the province, with approximately thirty towns facing water restrictions during the first week of the month.

Among the reservoirs, the most critical is the Axarquia’s La Viñuela reservoir which has hit historical lows, with its current water level a mere 14 hectometres (8.54%).

Due to this significant decline in water levels since last spring, La Viñuela has been deemed a ‘dead reservoir,’ resulting in the suspension of its use for irrigation since the start of the current hydrological year in October 2022.

With a capacity of 164 hectometres, all the water accumulated in the province’s seven reservoirs could fit within La Viñuela’s perimeter at this moment.

In contrast, the La Concepcion reservoir has experienced more favourable conditions, with over 400 litres per square meter of rain during this hydrological year in the area, bringing the reservoir close to 50% of its storage capacity and becoming the only area in the region not facing drought-like precipitation.

The situation varies among the remaining reservoirs in Malaga, with Conde del Guadalhorce holding 13.4 hectometres (20%), Guadalteba with 59 hectometres (39%), Limonero at nearly 30% with 6.6 hectometres, and Guadalhorce at 27%, aligning with the provincial average with an additional 34 hectometres.

The ongoing drought crisis has led to water restrictions in several towns with a total of 30 municipalities facing currently facing water-saving measures, namely: Alcaucin, Alhaurin de la Torre, Alhaurin el Grande, Almachar, Álora, Benalmadena, Benamargosa, Canillas de Aceituno, Cartama, Casabermeja, Coin, Colmenar, Comares, Competa, El Borge, Fuente de Piedra, Iznate, La Viñuela, Malaga, Marbella, Mijas, Moclinejo, Periana, Pizarra, Sedella, Rincon de la Victoria, Ronda, Torremolinos, Totalan, and Velez-Malaga.

The situation highlights the importance of water conservation and responsible use in the face of this challenging water scarcity scenario.

READ MORE:

• Water restrictions round-up as nearly 400,000 residents is Spain’s Malaga suffer water limitations to some degree due to drought crisis

• Drought crisis sees first closures of swimming pools and dismissals of lifeguards in Spain’s Malaga
• Spain’s Torremolinos to cut off water supply to 50% of beach showers