Criticism of water infrastructures
The organization Aigua és Vida has warned that the installation of thirteen new water production infrastructures is not the only solution to deal with the drought emergency. According to the platform, this Government decision is more economical than bringing water by boat, but warns that desalination contributes to climate change and increases the likelihood of more drought episodes.
Aigua és Vida believes that it is necessary to strengthen demand management and savings policies, and criticizes the urgent processing without a rigorous evaluation of the solutions.
Environmental and economic impact
The organization highlights the environmental impact of desalination, as it uses an intensive technology in the use of electricity and contributes to climate change. In addition, the activity of the facilities produces brine and chemical waste that are dumped into the sea, generating concern about the impact on coastal ecosystems.
Aigua és Vida highlights the high investment and maintenance costs of these new infrastructures.
Demand management
The organization calls for better demand management and not to rely only on supply management and the construction of new infrastructure. They consider that focusing solely on the increase in supply can relax the policies of saving and reducing consumption.
Aigua és Vida highlights the importance of compliance with the consumption restrictions established by the Special Drought Plan (PES). The organization points out that some municipalities in Emporda and the Barcelona Metropolitan Area do not comply with the restrictions, and asks local governments to be firm in applying the measures and in monitoring their compliance.
