The Es Pla Demand Unit goes on alert, while 82.2% of the territory remains on pre-alert
Water reserves in the Balearic Islands have fallen to 43% in August, which represents a decrease of 3 percentage points compared to the previous month and 8 points less than in the same period last year when they stood at 51%. This situation requires constant monitoring and strict management of the available water resources.
This month there has been a change of scenario: the Es Pla Demand Unit (DU) has entered the alert scenario. From this moment on, what is defined in the Special Plan of Actions in Situations of Alert and Possible Drought of the Balearic Islands comes into application, and among other obligations, a series of measures are established that must be fulfilled by the different competent administrations. Thus, town councils and managing bodies without connection to desalination plants will have to implement obligatory restrictions limiting garden irrigation, street cleaning, ornamental uses and beach showers.
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Water reserves in the Balearic Islands stand at 43% in August
Companies supplying water by truck will be obliged to replace 50% of the total volume to be supplied with desalinated water, provided they are located within a 15 km radius of a desalinated water dispenser. Dwellings on rural land are obliged to reduce water consumption by 20%. In addition, education and tourism administrations will have to communicate this alert situation to raise public awareness and promote compliance with the restrictions of this alert situation. The supply management bodies affected will also have to intensify awareness-raising campaigns to save water.
Thus, there are currently two DU on alert: Es Pla and Formentera. The other seven DUs (Menorca, Artà, Manacor-Felanitx, Migjorn, Palma-Alcúdia, Tramuntana Norte, Tramuntana Sur and Eivissa) remain in the pre-alert scenario, covering 82.2% of the territory.
About the percentages of reservations by island, Mallorca has dropped from 47% to 43%, Menorca has fallen from 44% to 39% and Ibiza has remained stable at 32%. The overall situation in the Balearic Islands continues to be less favourable than a year ago, when bookings stood at 51%.
According to AEMET data, the month of August has been very rainy due to the DANA that affected the islands on the 14th, 15th and 16th. By islands, August was especially rainy in Menorca (109.6 l/m² compared to the usual 15.6 l/m²) and Mallorca (59.6 l/m² compared to 20.7 l/m²). Eivissa also recorded more rain than usual (36.6 l/m² compared to 18.1 l/m²). In Formentera, on the other hand, rainfall remained within the normal range (7.4 l/m² compared to 13.4 l/m²).
The percentage of accumulated annual rainfall in the Balearic Islands stands at 76% (Mallorca 77%, Menorca 84% and Pitiusas 56%). As far as temperatures are concerned, August was a very warm month, with an average temperature of 26.4°C and an anomaly of +1.0°C.
Considering the current situation, the time of year and the rainfall recorded during August, it is expected that reserves will increase throughout the Balearic Islands during September.