Rain wasn't enough: Why Mallorca's reservoirs remain low

Rain wasn't enough: Why Mallorca's reservoirs remain low

Last week it smelled of wet asphalt and burnt coffee — for a moment Mallorca seemed to take a deep breath. The only catch: the breath was too short. The main reservoirs Gorg Blau and Cúber still show shallow shores, exposed gravel banks and water surfaces that fill only fractions of the basin contours. Measurements from the suppliers tell a clear story: around a quarter of capacity, a slight rise from the previous week, but far from a clean bill of health.

The central question: Why wasn't the rain enough?

The simple answer is missing — and that is part of the problem. A noticeable share of the rainfall ran off as surface runoff along the roads, partly in short, intense downpours. In the warm gaps between showers some of it evaporated before it could seep into the basins. And the soils? They had been dry for months and absorbed the water first. The result: only a fraction actually made it into the reserves.

An often overlooked point: Many islanders see the reservoirs as the only buffer. Less visible but important is groundwater. If rainwater runs off too quickly down rocky slopes, there is no time for natural groundwater recharge, which works stabilizingly in the long term. Likewise, sediment deposits reduce the usable capacity of the basins over years — a cost factor that rarely makes headlines.

Everyday life and those affected: Between pragmatism and concern

At the market, between the clatter of plastic bags and the calls of vendors, you hear the consequences: "We only water in the mornings now," says the woman at the flower stall on Carrer de Sant Miquel, while church bells toll in the distance. A pensioner on the Passeig de Mallorca shakes his head: "The city warns us, but the heat is harsh."

For farmers the numbers are more than statistics. Irrigation schedules are being reduced, yield uncertainties are rising, and some fincas are considering additional cisterns or switching to drip systems. Public fountains remain turned off, city parks are watered more sparingly — small changes that alter the island's rhythm.

What is discussed too rarely — and what can be done concretely?

The debate often revolves around short-term measures: mandates, water restrictions, and appeals to save. Three less-noticed levers deserve more attention:

1) Groundwater recharge and settlement drainage: Instead of directing rain quickly into drains, mitigated infiltration areas are possible. Small construction projects — swales, infiltration trenches, and targeted retention areas around new developments — would bring more precipitation into the subsurface.

2) Insure and modernize storage infrastructure: Older basins lose capacity through sedimentation. Dredging costs money, but it is more effective than constantly planning new facilities. Also: promoting local cisterns for private households reduces pressure on central systems.

3) Optimize irrigation and design pricing cleverly: Drip irrigation, smart sensors instead of timers, and a tariff structure that signals high consumption in dry periods could quickly reduce usage without causing existential fears.

Looking ahead: What can the island do now?

Autumn brings hope — but without structural changes every shower's effect remains fragile. Municipalities should plan combined measures: incentives for rainwater retention, support programs for efficient irrigation for agriculture and golf courses, and investments in measures for natural groundwater recharge. In the long run, funds for modernizing networks also belong on the agenda: fewer losses, more measurement data, more targeted control.

This is not a doomsday scenario, but a wake-up call. On Puig de Randa, between whistling wind and the scent of pine resin, you can see small cisterns on some houses — quiet, pragmatic answers that, if multiplied, could make a difference. The island remains lively: bakeries open, the weekly market runs, and cafés continue to host discussions. Only this time with a topic that won't fade as quickly as the brief smell of wet earth.

Not doom-mongering, but an appeal to preparedness: water is not a given — and it is better preserved with smart, local measures than with short-term appeals alone.