Ben Pawlowski
WATER restrictions will remain in place over the summer despite recent rainfall, the Catalan government have announced.
While increased rainfall over recent weeks has staved off an elevation of the drought emergency to Level 2, local officials have confirmed that the situation remains precarious.
In the province of Barcelona, Catalunya’s most populated region, reservoir levels increased by 1.09 percentage points to 11.68% after Storm Nelson brought heavy rainfall and high winds to the peninsula.
The Ter-Llobregat water system, which is the primary water source for 6 million Catalan residents, is currently operating at a capacity of 17.8%.
Patricia Plaja, the spokesperson for the regional government, said: “There will neither be more or less water restrictions”.
She stressed that people should not believe that the ‘extreme drought’ is over, adding that ‘we will continue with Level 1 of the emergency plan in the vast majority of the territory’.
However, drastic solutions such as shipping in tanks of water will not be needed.
Josep Vidal, the Climate Action secretary-general, commented: “It is complicated to foresee when the drought emergency will be lifted”.
Officials are currently examining whether it would be feasible to re-open public swimming pools ahead of the tourist season and the height of summer.
A ban on the filling of swimming pools, alongside other activities such as car-washing, was one of a number of measures introduced after the Catalan government announced a state of emergency in February.
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