The average amount of water per person per day is reduced to 200 liters
The Generalitat met this Thursday the Interdepartmental Drought Commission to activate the emergency in the Ter-Llobregat system, which was applied this Friday. The swamps in this area have dropped below 100 hm³ for the first time, the level established to start the first emergency phase according to the Special Drought Plan.
The new measures will affect 202 municipalities, including Mollet del Vallès, which until now was in the pre-emergency phase.
The emergency phase is the most critical, and has three stages
In the first stage the restrictions are 200 liters per person per day; in the second, it decreases to 180, and the third, to 160, in addition to other measures that become stricter. In this first stage, it is recommended that household consumption be around 90 liters per inhabitant per day. With regard to the rest of the areas, it is planned to suppress agricultural irrigation by 80% (only the survival irrigation of woody crops may be authorized; the reduction of the use of water for livestock uses by 50% ; the 25% reduction of water consumption by industrial users; and the reduction of water consumption in recreational uses (25% in uses similar to urban).
In this sense, Mollet’s water consumption is at 145 liters per inhabitant per day, the historical minimum according to data from the Catalan Water Agency (ACA). These 145 liters per inhabitant per day are well below the limit set by the Generalitat both in the pre-emergency phase (216 liters per inhabitant and day) and in level 1 emergency (200 litres).
Local administrations may establish additional restrictions and prohibitions
Local administrations, through their emergency plans, can impose additional limitations and prohibitions on the use of water in sports, public and private facilities and in recreational areas.