Desalination plants working overtime

A dry year. The lack of rain has been a constant throughout Catalonia in 2017 and the state of the reservoirs is far from optimal. If the lack of rain continues, the country could enter drought alert during the months of March or April. In fact, the cultivation of certain cereals such as wheat is looking grim with the irregular rainfall so far this winter. As a consequence, the Catalan Water Agency (ACA) has been forced preemptively to increase production in Catalonia’s two desalination plants.

The Tordera plant (2002) and Europe’s largest desalinating plant to supply an urban area, Llobregat (2009) are both in operation. LLobregat usually operates at 10% capacity but already its output is at 70%, Tordera, at Blanes, operates normally at 20-25% but has raised that level to 75%. The ACA is also reviewing wells and alternative sources, readying them should the be required as they were in the last drought.

The most recent survey of the state of our water producing capacity at any given time show that the basins of rivers born in Catalonia flowing into the Mediterranean are at 45.8% of their capacity (319 million cubic metres). That is less than half three years ago, when that was93% (648 million cubic meters). The fall in reserves has been a constant since 2014. These are sources controlled by the ACA but the outflow of the Ebro is in the hands of its Spanish counterpart, the CHE.

The main source of water supply in Catalonia is that which comes from the Ter-Llobregat with the Sau, Susqueda, Llosa del Cavall, Baells and Sant Ponç reservoirs which are below 50% of their capacity. While rainfall has been scarce, what has fallen has done so in the wrong places, aggravating the problem. We are facing a long, dry winter.