Alex Trelinski
DRINKING water supplies have been ‘guaranteed’ for ‘four or five years’ for Andalucian water networks linked to the Guadalquivir Basin
The pledge has come from the president of the Guadalquivir Hydrographic Confederation(CHG), Joaquin Paez,
“We had an alternative plan to guarantee water for human consumption but we can say with satisfaction that after the March rainfall, water is guaranteed,” he said.
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“We will continue to work on initiatives to face periods of drought”, Paez added.
The situation has changed dramatically since the start of the year when the possibility of restrictions was being considered in cities such as Sevilla and its metropolitan area due to the situation of prolonged drought.
Joaquin Paez said: “Fortunately, this March has been extraordinarily rainy, -the third wettest March in the last 40 years- which is a major relief because it has produced a total of 290 litres per m2 on average in the basin.”
Spain’s reservoir levels are continuing to rise after recent rainfall with reserves the best in nearly four years- taken as a national average.
On Tuesday, the Ministry of Ecological Transition said that the current store of 37,342 cubic hectometres is just 19 cubic hectometres less than in May 2020.
The reservoirs of the Guadalquivir Basin have also gained a little more water, but not as much as other parts of the country..
Last week they were at 46.8% and on Tuesday they were at 47.1%- a slight increase thanks to recent rain and the melting of the Sierra Nevada, part of whose snow reserve goes to the basin that covers 49 reservoirs in twelve provinces and four regions.
The situation in the Guadalquivir will allow increased water for agricultural irrigation, with plans to triple allowances compared to what was a poor 2023.
