The intense rainfall of the past week has caused a slight recovery of reservoir water, especially in Andalucia, where all river basins have increased their reserves.
This is not the case in Catalonia, where reserves in internal basins continue to dwindle, having lost 0.3 cubic hectometres to 15.4% of their capacity in the last seven days.
Water reserves Spain
Spain’s water reserves now stands at 51.1% of total capacity. The reservoirs currently store 28,648 cubic hectometres (hm3) of water, an increase in the past week of 553 cubic hectometres (1% of the current total capacity of the reservoirs).
The water in the reservoirs has decreased in the past week. Previously, it rose for two weeks in a row. The water reserve amounts to 50.1% of the total capacity, 28,095 cubic hectometres. This represents a decrease of 381 hm3 (0.7% of the current total capacity of the reservoirs). The figures were published by the Spanish Ministry of Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO).
More than last year, less than the 10-year average
At present, the reservoirs have 247 cubic hectometres (hm3) more than in the same period a year ago. However, it is still 4,489 hm3 less than the ten-year average. The water reservoir on the Atlantic coast accounts for 51.3% of its capacity. This is above that of a year ago, with 508 hm3 more. But it is 2,947 hm3 less than the average of the last ten years.
On the Mediterranean coast, the reserve is 50.5%. At 187 hm3 more than a year ago and 1,542 hm3 less than the average for the decade.
Water resources by region
Broken down by area, the east of Cantabria is at 83.6%; the Galician coast, 82.7%; the interior of the Basque Country with 81%, and Miño-Sil with 78.1%. This is followed by Western Cantabria with 77.3%. Ebro, 63.7%; Tinto, Odiel and Piedras, with 70.7%; Duero, 67.4%; Tajo, 69.9%; Júcar, 48.4%; Guadiana, 34.6%; Guadalquivir, 23.2%; Segura, 18.2%; and the Andalucian Mediterranean, with 18.6%.
Basins with the least reservoir water are Guadalete-Barbate, with 15.5%; and inland Catalonia river basins, by 15.4%.
Drinking water less than 40% of water reserve
The amount of water for human consumption is 15,712 cubic hectometres. 40.5% of its capacity, that is, one point less than a year ago, when it had 16,100 cubic hectometres (41.5% capacity) and 8% less than the average of the last five years, according to data from the Spanish Ministry of Ecological Transition.
On the other hand, reservoir water for hydroelectric use has 75% of its capacity, with 12,936 cubic hectometres, 3.7 points more than a year ago, when it had 12,301 cubic hectometres (71.3% capacity).
Also read: Red Alert – water restrictions for Malaga
