The ongoing drought has prompted the Málaga city council to reduce water pressure throughout the city. This measure will be applied throughout the area within a month.
The municipality wants to ensure that the amount of water lost due to leaks in the pipeline network is significantly reduced. In practice, the water pressure has already been reduced in a number of areas because there are a lot of leaking pipes.
Pressure reduction during off-peak hours
Regulating the water pressure can be controlled remotely. The pressure will mainly be reduced during the so-called off-peak hours. In principle, the pressure will remain normal during peak hours, when people use a lot of water for food, showering and the washing machine, for example.
The system that is supposed to regulate the water pressure has already been installed in a large part of Málaga. At the moment, a number of important outlying areas of the city are still being prepared for the new measures.
Effective method
According to the councillor for environmental sustainability, it is “much more effective to reduce water pressure than to cut off the water supply”. After shutting off the water, the empty pipes can fill with air. Then, when water runs through again, that air can cause ruptures and defects. According to the councillor, the risk of leaks will be substantially reduced with the new measures, because water will always run through the pipes. This is an important ‘gain’ when it comes to scarce and precious water.
The city has reduced its water consumption by 20%
The city of Málaga has managed to reduce its water consumption by 20%. This was the requirement that the Junta de Andalucía made of the provinces in last year’s drought decree. The Junta had previously reduced the percentage of water from the reservoirs for the regions. Málaga has been able to collect it with water from a number of wells in the area and the repair of leaks. Leaks that have been significantly reduced after the many maintenance work of the pipeline network.
The municipality gives priority to 25 water projects
The municipal water company EMASA is prioritising 25 activities for next year that should contribute to water savings. It involves repairing water reservoirs and pumps and renovating sewerage or supply networks where they are most outdated. The plans also include the restoration of the historic collection sewer in Carreterías.
A budget of €10.7 million is available for the actions. The financing will be provided by the consumer, who will pay a surcharge. It is likely that the water bill will be adjusted by the middle of this year. The bill will show what part of the costs will be used for the water saving plan.
Reading tip: Cost of drought amounts to 45 euros per citizen
