One per cent less water consumed

Water consumption in Palma and Calvia this summer fell by one percent, slightly less than the 11 percent forecast, the Balearic Minister for the Environment, Margalida Rossello, said yesterday, presenting the results of the summer's campaign to save water. Rossello said yesterday that, based on water extraction from wells, reservoirs and desalination plants, the two large municipalities in the Bay of Palma, consumed a daily average of 145'903 cubic metres of water during June, July, August and September of last year. This summer a daily average of 144'699 cubic metres of water was being extracted, despite the fact that the water authority was expecting to have to provide some 160'000 cubic metres per day in order to meet demand. The Minister said that the water saving campaign has proved a positive one. Rossello took the opportunity yesterday to thank the general public for having made an effort to consume less water this summer, but the Minister said that the Balearic will continue with a more “low key” campaign over the winter and the success of the “water telephone hot line” will be studied in order to decide whether the information service, which has received an average of 14 calls per day, will continue into the New Year. The Minister said one of the reasons for the reduction in water consumption was the sever drought and the high level of information the general public have been given about the region's water crisis.