The Junta de Andalucia is going to allow the ‘refilling’ (not filling) of swimming pools in the province of Malaga this summer, something that Mijas will request through Acosol. This measure by the Andalusian Government was announced on Tuesday 7th after the meeting prior to the drought management committee, which will take place next week. The meeting was attended by the heads of the General Water Secretariat attached to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development; the provincial water supply companies; and officials from various Malaga administrations, and proposals were put forward that will be submitted for agreement at the next drought monitoring committee in the Andalusian Mediterranean basins, including the refilling of communal and private swimming pools. 

According to the mayoress of Mijas, Ana Mata (PP), "given the recent rains", at the meeting they discussed what could be done "by the Town Halls to allow us to use the swimming pools and the irrigation in gardens this summer". In this sense, both possibilities were discussed at the meeting, "always bearing in mind the regulation that the drought decree obliged all Andalusians to comply with, which was to not exceed 200 litres per inhabitant per day".

 

Proposals to be discussed at the committee

Specifically, two proposals will be submitted to the next drought management committee for agreement. One will allow the refilling of private and communal swimming pools, as so far this has only been allowed for municipal public swimming pools, those belonging to sports or social clubs and those intended for therapeutic purposes, as well as those in tourist accommodations. The other proposal will be to allow the irrigation of gardens up to a maximum of 400m3 per hectare per month, as long as they are botanical species of interest, as well as a possible relaxation of water regulations for agricultural irrigation. All these measures are linked to the amount of water allowed per inhabitant per day depending on each basin, in the case of the hydrographical demarcation of the Andalusian Mediterranean basins, to which Mijas belongs, it is 200 litres.

The Junta de Andalucía recalled that the Andalusian reservoirs were at 43.75% of their total capacity on Tuesday 7th, equivalent to 5,235 hm3. According to the spokesman for the Andalusian Government and Minister for Sustainability, Ramón Fernández-Pacheco, although the situation is better than a few months ago, the drought continues to be ‘a major problem in Andalusia’, which is why he insisted on maintaining consumption in accordance with each region's situation.

A decision by the Town Halls

However, the local administrations are the ones in charge of adopting the specific measures and making this decision, which will now be stopped by the Andalusian government. They will have to request the exceptions on water limitations to the Junta de Andalucía, which will have to give them the go-ahead after studying their technical arguments to deal with the refilling of swimming pools and the suspension of other restrictions, always without exceeding 200 litres per inhabitant per day.

Mata explained that ‘it will be this week or next week’ when they send their request. "As part of the Association of Municipalities in the Western Costa del Sol, we will do it through our water management companies, which in this case is Acosol, we will ask them to process this authorization so they allow us to give the possibility to our neighbours to fill these pools and also to be able to make this careful irrigation in our green areas", said the mayoress to add that all the municipalities in the Western Costa del Sol will do this process in a “joint” way. However, the mayoress said that, although this summer it will be possible to enjoy the swimming pools, which according to the councillor there are more than 6,000 in Mijas, and the watering of gardens, everything will have to be done wisely: "in a moderate way and always aware that we are not here to throw water away, but that we all have the responsibility to try to use water to the bare minimum".

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