Palma's water at the limit: reservoirs almost empty — how should we react now?

Palma's water at the limit: reservoirs almost empty — how should we react now?

Last Sunday morning I was at Gorg Blau. Actually the water surface should have been gleaming there, but instead gravel crunched under my shoes and somewhere gulls croaked over a barren hollow. The numbers confirm the feeling, as reported in Water shortage in Mallorca: As Gorg Blau and Cúber shrink — is Palma really prepared?: Cúber is at around 28.56 % capacity, Gorg Blau at just 27.68 % – together Palma's reservoirs are at about 28.25 %. The central question is: How long will this water really last, and what do we do before it's too late?

No dramatic black-and-white – but the reserve is thin

Good news first: Palma is still supplied for the moment. Emaya chief Llorenç Bauzà stresses that acute rationing is not planned. Still: being supplied is not synonymous with plenty. The city now relies on a web of sources – groundwater, wells, reuse and desalination – and that is not cheap. Desalination consumes energy, and the next electricity bill won't applaud.

Weather change, but no rescue shield

The meteorologist for the Balearic Islands speaks of an Atlantic front that will bring a little cooling and clouds at the start of the week. For us that means: a few drops, maybe an afternoon of drizzle. But the models also make it clear: it is not enough to refill reservoirs, as discussed in Why Mallorca's reservoirs remain empty despite rain — a reality check. A few rainy days are welcome, but they are no rescue shield for an island system that depends on regular rainfall.

What is often overlooked

Public debate is full of words about desalination and short-term savings. Three points get less attention: first, the long-term depletion of aquifers, which silently and slowly weakens local ecosystems; second, the hidden costs of desalination — not only in euros, but in CO₂, unless it is coupled with renewable energy; third, the demand side: tourism, large hotels with pools and elaborate landscaping consume volumes that can make the difference in dry years. Recent coverage highlights that reservoirs remain conspicuously empty despite rain and snow, see Mallorca: Reservoirs remain conspicuously empty despite rain and snow.

Concrete steps that can be implemented immediately

Panic doesn't help. What does help are clear, concrete measures that can show quick effects:

1. Leak detection and pipe modernization: A targeted program to find and stop water lost in the networks. Every leaking kilometer of pipe is lost potential.

2. Smart meters and transparency: Smart meters in homes and hotels that display consumption in real time. Data help to understand where savings actually occur.

3. Incentives instead of just bans: Grants for drip irrigation in agriculture, subsidies for rainwater tanks for single-family homes and tiered tariffs that make high consumption more expensive — all of this works faster than mere appeals.

4. Wastewater treatment and reuse: Treated water for agriculture and public green spaces is a lever that both reduces demand on drinking water sources and secures local agriculture.

5. Desalination with green power: If desalination is used, it should be coupled with solar or wind energy, preferably decentralized and with storage, to improve the climate balance.

Regionally varying alarm levels – this complicates planning

On Mallorca there is no uniform status: some areas are already in alarm, others in pre-alarm. Artà, the lowlands, Manacor–Felanitx, Palma–Alcúdia and parts of the Tramuntana are on the watch list. This leads to local measures that need to be better coordinated – especially because water does not flow along administrative boundaries but according to geology and demand, as outlined in When the reservoirs shrink: How Mallorca's water shortage affects Palma and the villages.

Everyday tips that really matter

The usual advice sounds banal, but summed up it matters: shorter showers, turning off the tap while brushing teeth, fixing dripping taps. Equally effective: don't hose down barbecues and gardens every evening; watering in the morning and targeted watering saves more. And yes, a small business in Son Serra de Marina or the apartments in Portixol together can save more than you might think.

Looking ahead – not just panicking

If the coming months remain dry, politicians will have to invest: more desalination capacity, stricter rules for agricultural irrigation, but also real incentives for water saving. The west winds won't carry the decision away – we have to make it. That means local measures, financial instruments and technical modernization at the same time.

Conclusion: Palma currently has enough water for daily life, but the buffer is narrow. Anyone walking at Gorg Blau in the morning can feel it: the silence, the crunching, the thin water surface. The needle can be shifted in the short term by desalination and groundwater adjustments – but in the long run only a bundle of technology, rules and changed habits will help. The island has the ingredients for the solution; what is missing now is a consistent plan to bring them together.