WATER POLITICS

The Barcelona City Council in Spain has issued a cautionary statement, alerting that the drought emergency phase, looming over the Catalonia region in January due to insufficient rainfall, might impact residential water provisions should it escalate to the highest emergency level, reports Europapress.

From January to November in 2023, Barcelona had an average high-water supply of 173 litres per inhabitant per day: if it enters emergency phase 1, consumption is limited to 200 litres, in emergency phase 2 to 180 litres, and in emergency phase 3 to 160 litres, when measures will have to be taken in homes.

“Measures would have to be taken with regard to the supply network to reduce the consumption threshold”, said Urban Services Manager Sònia Frías. She believes it is likely that in 2024 Barcelona will enter emergency phase 2, explaining that she foresees that the exceptional situation will continue in the event of rain in spring and that there will be no return to normality.

Cristina Vila, General Manager of Barcelona Cicle de l’Aigua, warned that if the “situation does not improve by the second half of January, we will enter emergency 1. If in spring there is not the usual rainfall, by April we will enter emergency 2, and in July we will enter emergency 3.”

She added that Barcelona is currently “surviving thanks to alternative resources available as a substitute for reservoir water,” such as groundwater collection wells, desalination, and reclaimed water.

80 per cent of the city’s green areas are currently being irrigated with potable water, and when the emergency phase is reached, it will not be usable, and irrigation will continue using groundwater.

Vila also highlighted that the City Council is working on a new grey water ordinance (for new buildings and large renovations) which it plans to process in the second half of this year.