Water reserves in Catalonia
At the beginning of summer, this Sant Joan, the water reserve present in the reservoirs of the internal basins of Catalonia stands at 37% on average, after a rapid and notable rise throughout April , in May and June. Although on March 9 they hit rock bottom, with a volume of water below the minimum of 14.3%, the abundant rains throughout the territory during the last months, as well as the restrictions on consumption imposed by the state of emergency or exceptional at the time, have contributed to maintaining and increasing reserves.
Proof of the recent improvement in the state of the drought in Catalonia is the appearance of the Sau swamp. In the middle of May, it was already beginning to see how the blue and green prevailed over the dry in the place that has been the most visible symbol of the severe drought that has been suffered. And if at the beginning of the year Sau was at 4.7% of its capacity; now, at the end of June, it is already around 46%, with more than 75 cubic hectometres in reservoirs – of a total capacity of around 165 hm³. Now yes, the church of Sant Romà de Sau is already starting to be covered.
Current situation and challenges
Although the situation is still an unknown, given the almost structural drought that Catalonia has faced for three years and that the total reserves of the internal Catalan basins are only at a little more than a third of their total capacity, added to the challenge that the entry into the summer dry season, which is already in full swing, can pose, and in a context in which the Government has lowered the restrictions.
The Ter-Llobregat system, which supplies water to more than 6 million citizens in 202 municipalities in Barcelona and Girona, is already at 40% of its capacity and has a total of 236 cubic hectometres of water in its reservoirs, according to the latest data from the Catalan Water Agency (ACA). However, the situation is still in a state of declared alert, with the consequent restrictions on water consumption in the primary sector, industry, leisure and municipal or private use; although they are more lax since the Government lifted the state of emergency that had existed since February at the beginning of May.
The reservoir of Darnius Boadella (Alt Empordà) also continues to gain water, although it does so in a slow and moderate way. In 3 months it has doubled its volumes, gaining more than 8 hm³. In the second half of June, it is at almost 23% while at the beginning of March it was at 11%. The step from emergency II to emergency I means that the allocation per municipality increases to 200 liters per inhabitant per day instead of 180 liters. In addition, there is no obligation to close the showers in gyms. Similarly, the other point most affected by the drought continues to be the Riudecanyes swamp (Baix Camp), which also remains in emergency phase I.
