Lifestyle and Leisure
Water on the brain in Spain
In a country where private swimming pools and pristine golf courses are the norm, a water shortage seemed almost inevitable, writes Patricia Curmi
After two years of drought, the protracted arguments between the government, Spanish farmers and property developers over who's to blame and where the solution lies continue unabated. The situation has become so serious that levels in reservoirs in the south-east of the country are currently so low, drinking water for towns in Murcia and Albacete is currently pumped from elsewhere.
Environment Minister Cristina Narbona has come up with what may an international first: a tax on un-environmental usage of resources: a water 'tax'. Speaking at the start of a meeting with the National Water Council to discuss several changes to the country's water laws, Environment Minister Cristina Narbona announced plans to limit the amount of water used to 60 litres a day per person.
Narbona did not, however, reveal how the plans, which could become law in 2010, will affect the agriculture sector, which accounts for 80 per cent of all water usage in Spain.
Under the present water law, local councils are in charge of setting water tariffs for domestic use. In reality, few city and town halls place surcharges on households that use excessive amounts of water, among them Granada, Barcelona and Cuidad Real.
According to the Institute of National Statistics, Spain sits top of the league in global household water usage. Each member of its population uses an average of 171 litres of water per day.
Zimbabwe is at the opposite end of the scale with an average of less than 10 litres being used by each person every day.
For the 500,000 Brits who own property in Spain, this could mean the old adage 'location, location, location' could refer more to the hunt for a property with good access to water resources than finding a villa with panoramic view.
Any measures that scare off foreign buyers could also spell trouble for the Spanish economy: Britons invested £12 billion in Spanish property in 2004/05, and this is predicted to reach £21 billion by 2009 if it continues at its present rate.
In a bid to prevent a crisis, Spanish authorities are taking a pro-active stance on the matter. Costa del Sol, in the drought-affected south, for example, is to receive 234 million euros from the regional government for new water treatment plants and recycling measures.
What's more, residents in the Malaga area, including the towns and villages of Alora, Cartama, Coin, Pizarra, Alhaurin el Grande and Alhaurin de la Torre, will all benefit, after their councils signed a deal with Malaga's local authority. Proposals include the building of a pipeline through the Cerro-Blanco Atabal to use the water in the Rio Grande, and the improvement of a water treatment plant at Guadalhorce. Half the cash will be used to recycled waste water on golf courses and for irrigation, according to Euro Weekly News.
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