Speaking yesterday in Luxemburg, Environment minister, Elena Espinosa, revealed that the emergency drought measures introduced for the Cataluña region before last month's heavy rains, would be cancelled at today's cabinet meeting.

President Zapatero will preside the meeting after an earlier audience with former senator for North Carolina, and former Democrat presidential candidate, John Edwards.

Ms Espinosa confirmed that water levels in Cataluña's reservoirs are back up to 55% of total capacity, and with more rain forecast, at 336.6 cubic hectometres, levels are only ten cubic hectometres lower than this time last year.

As a consequence, the mini-Ebro diversion project has been cancelled, and water usage restrictions have been lifted. This means that there will be water available for private and public swimming pools, washing cars in the street, beach showers and for private and public gardens. The scheme to ship water in by tanker from Marseilles and Tarragona has also been cancelled. 

Reservoir levels rise to 43%
By: thinkSPAIN
Wednesday, May 28, 2008

According to the Catalan Water Agency (ACA) last week's persistent rain raised levels in the region's reservoir network by 9.6% (+67 cubic hectometres) to 297.34 cubic hectometres.

Levels now stand at 43% of their total capacity at 297.34 cubic hectometres, a much healthier picture than at the start of April, when levels had fallen to nearly 20% - representing the most serious drought in the region for decades.

In the Ter-Llobregat basin that supplies Barcelona, levels now stand at 44% though emergency water usage restriction measures remain in place.

The drastic improvement in the situation, and with more rain forecast over the next few days at least, has led to the regional government of neighbouring Aragón to call for the cancellation of the mini-Ebro project to divert water from the Ebro river delta in Tarragona to Barcelona along pipes to be laid alongside the AP-7 toll motorway.

Cataluña reservoir levels rise to one third capacity
By: thinkSPAIN
Tuesday, May 20, 2008

According to regional government statistics, water levels in the Ter-Llobregat reservoir system that supplies Barcelona city centre rose last week by 3.1% to 32.5% of their total capacity. Alarmingly, however, this is 42% lower than this time last year.

Nationally, last week's rains pushed levels up by 592 cubic hectometres (+1.1%) to 31,111 cubic hectometres, or 57.3% of total capacity, according to Environment ministry figures also released today.

Cataluña water restrictions remain in place
By: thinkSPAIN
Friday, May 16, 2008

Sensibly it would seem, given the continued severity of the region's current water shortage, the Cataluña government has decided to keep in place emergency drought measures that prohibit the use of domestic supplies for washing cars, watering gardens or filling swimming pools.

After a cabinet meeting yesterday, regional Environment minister, Francesc Baltasar, said that, failing a prolonged spell of heavy rain - which is not forecast - reservoir supplies would soon dip back below the level at which water restrictions would once again have to be imposed, pointing out that this would be "absurd."

Mr Baltasar said that, apart from reservoir levels and weather forecasts, the government had considered a number of other variables including aquifer levels, demand predictions (higher in the summer), and alternative supply volumes (by tanker from Tarragona and Marseilles, mini-Ebro diversion from Tarragona - which will not be completed until the autumn).

The first tanker full of water to be shipped in from southern France, that was supposed to arrive in Barcelona yesterday, has been delayed by a technical problem, and is not now expected until next week.

Recent rains allow water restrictions to be lifted
By: thinkSPAIN
Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Water levels in the Ter-Llobregat reservoir system that supplies Barcelona have been swollen by twenty cubic hectometres to 28.9% of total capacity as a result of the recent heavy rain, meaning that the exceptional drought alert can be downgraded from a level two to a level one.

In turn, this means that domestic water usage restriction measures imposed earlier this year can be relaxed so that, from next Friday onwards, customers will once again be able to use drinking water to wash their cars, water their gardens and/or fill their swimming pools without guilt or fear of financial sanction.

Yesterday, the first tanker load of emergency drinking water supplies from Tarragona arrived in Barcelona with two further tanker loads from Marseilles expected this week...

First emergency water supplies reach Barcelona
By: thinkSPAIN
Tuesday, May 13, 2008

The 'Sichem Defender', the first tanker loaded with emergency domestic water supplies from Tarragona, arrived in Barcelona port this morning at 8.30am.

It will take just seventeen hours to unload the 19,000 cubic litres on board, that were pumped from aquifers of the Camp de Tarragona and Reus.

In total, the water has been subjected to four rigorous quality control checks carried out before embarcation, during transport and on its arrival in Barcelona.

Over the next four days, two further tankers - from Marseilles in France - are expected.

Once the process is fully up and running, a total of 1.6 cubic hectometres will be delivered to Barcelona each month - 35 tanker-loads from Tarragona and 38 from Marseilles.

The cost of hiring the fleet of six tankers to be used in the operation is reported to be around €22 million euros a month.

Mini-Ebro diversion plans accelerated to address Barcelona water crisis
By: thinkSPAIN
Tuesday, April 15, 2008

62km of water pipes will be laid alongside the AP-7 toll motorway over the next few months to carry water from the Ebro river delta in Tarragona to address the extreme water shortage in Barcelona. This was the main outcome of a meeting yesterday between Environment minister and regional president José Montilla in Barcelona yesterday.

The deadline for the project, the budget for which is €160 million euros, has been brought forward by fifteen months, and must now be completed by the end of next October.

It will enable three cubic hectometres of water to be diverted each month.

At this stage, it is not known exactly how the project's funding will be shared between the national and regional governments.

Regional opposition leader Artur Mas has a meeting scheduled for later today to discuss the water shortage crisis with Mr Montilla at the regional government's Barcelona city-centre headquarters.
 
Drought closes Barcelona beach showers
By: thinkSPAIN
Tuesday, April 8, 2008

The showers on Barcelona's beaches have been closed, there has been a drastic reduction in the amount of water being used to irrigate the regional capital's public parks and gardens (only 18% are being watered regularly), and ground water is being used to clean the city's streets.

These are some of the measures in place to cope with the severe water shortage currently affecting the area, though regional Environment bosses continue to insist that domestic supplies are not at threat.

The public have been doing their bit too, and at 106 litres per person per day, consumption levels are close to the 100 litres recommended by the World Health Organisation.

Large customers such as FC Barcelona, El Corte Inglés, El Club de Polo, Port 2000 and Deutsche Bank are being supplied with a combination of ground (phreatic) water and recycled water from the plants in Llobregat and el Besòs.

€22 million a month to ship in water for parched northeast
By: thinkSPAIN
Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Regional Environment minister, Francesc Baltasar, confirmed yesterday that it will cost an estimated €22 million euros a month to ship in 2.6 cubic hectometres of water for the drought-stricken Cataluña region from Tarragona, Carboneras (Almería) and Marseilles.

The first two of the ten tankers to be used in the operation will arrive in Barcelona from Tarragona port just down the coast during the first fortnight in May with a further five tankers from Marseilles expected in the second half of the month.

However, Barcelona will not receive any water from the new desalination facility in Carboneras (Almería) until August at least as construction work is still under way.

National train operator Renfe have confirmed that they will be ready to start carrying water by rail within three months, although they will only be able to transport one 25th of the total that will be brought in by sea.

€3,000 euro fines for breaking hosepipe ban
By: thinkSPAIN
Friday, March 28, 2008

Amid growing fears of another serious drought this summer, the inhabitants of the 33 towns and villages that constitute the Association of Municipalities of Metropolitan Barcelona (AMB) face fines of up to €3,000 for water wastage.

Using water to water your garden, fill your swimming pool, or wash your car on the street are among the activities that will not be permitted from the start of next week.

Regional and Local Police officers, as well as council water inspectors will be mainly responsible for enforcing the ban though local Environment officer, Francesc Narváez, is hoping that the public will cooperate by informing the authorities of suspected cases of non-compliance.

Mr Narváez went on to warn that an emergency level drought alert could be issued imminently as recent rain and snow falls have not been sufficient to reverse the decline in the region's reservoir levels.

Notwithstanding, he went on to reassure the public that there is absolutely no threat to domestic water supplies this summer as contingency plans, that include shipping in water by sea, are in place.

Mr Narváez also went on to explain that AMB inhabitants consume significantly less water (182 litres per person per day) than the average for the region as a whole (270 litres per person per day).

The photo was taken on World Water Day (March 22nd) beneath the C-254 road bridge in Sant Boi de Llobregat (Barcelona) over the parched Llobregat riverbed.