Stability Brought to Costa del Sol?s water reserves

The level of the water reservoirs in the province of Malaga rose last week for the first time since the end of March. The increase was very slight, however - a little over 500 million litres - but, thanks to the rain and the measures to save water, at least the downward trend has been halted for the time being.

According to the Mediterranean-Andalusian Water Board, it was the first time in eight months that the reserves had risen. The reservoirs had been losing water week after week, due to lack of rain, dropping down to an average of 27 per cent their capacity. The six largest reservoirs in the province held a volume of 164.6 cubic hectometres at the beginning of this week but that is still far below the volume in them a year ago, 282.6 cubic hectometres, which represents 49 per cent of their total capacity.

The reason for the slightly increased volume is twofold: on the one hand a drop in consumption of 40 per cent since the special decree on drought came into force, and on the other hand, the rain which fell in the province last week, an average of 22.3 litres per square metre.