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 roasted 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 banks, exposed gravel bars and water surfaces that fill only fractions of the basins' contours. Why Mallorca's reservoirs remain empty despite rain — a reality check.

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 precipitation ran off as surface flow along the roads, partly in short, heavy downpours. In the warm gaps between showers some of it evaporated before seeping into the basins. And the soils? They had been dry for months and absorbed the water first. The result: only a fraction actually reached the reserves.

An often overlooked point: Many islanders see the reservoirs as the only buffer. Less visible, but important, is the groundwater. If rainfall runs off too quickly down rocky slopes, there is no time for natural groundwater recharge, which stabilizes supplies in the long term. Likewise, sediment deposits over years reduce the usable capacity of the basins — a cost factor that rarely makes headlines. Information on this can be found in our article Mallorca: Reservoirs remain conspicuously empty despite rain and snow.

Everyday life and those affected: Between pragmatism and concern

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

For farmers the numbers are not just statistics. Irrigation plans are being reduced, yield uncertainties are rising, and some fincas are considering additional cisterns or a switch to drip-based systems. Public fountains remain turned off, municipal parks are watered more sparingly — small notes that change the rhythm of the island. Details can also be found in Palma's water at the limit: reservoirs almost empty – how are we responding now?.

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

The debate often centers on short-term measures: mandates, water restrictions, and exhortative calls to save. Three less-noticed levers deserve more attention:

1) Groundwater recharge and settlement drainage: Instead of directing rain quickly into channels, buffered infiltration areas are possible. Small construction projects — swales, infiltration trenches, targeted retention areas in new developments — would put more rainfall into the subsurface.

2) Insure and modernize storage infrastructure: Older basins lose capacity due to 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. Information on water scarcity in Mallorca can be found in our article When storage shrinks: How Mallorca's water shortage affects Palma and the villages.

3) Optimize irrigation and design clever pricing: Drip irrigation, smart sensors instead of timers, and a tariff structure that signals high consumption in dry periods could reduce usage quickly without creating 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 storage, subsidy programs for efficient irrigation in agriculture and on golf courses, and investments in measures for natural groundwater recharge. In the long run, funds for modernizing networks should also be 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 at some houses — quiet, pragmatic responses that, multiplied, could make a difference. The island remains lively: bakeries open, the weekly market runs, and people keep discussing things in cafés. Only this time with a topic that does not fade as quickly as the brief smell of wet earth.

No doom-mongering, but an appeal to prepare: water is not a given — and it is better preserved with smart, local measures than with short-term pleas alone. Further information can be found in Small Rain, Big Impact? Why Mallorca's Water Balance Raises Doubts.