Open a faucet in the bathroom or kitchen. This is how any given day begins for millions of people in our country. A daily gesture to which we do not give importance, and which nevertheless leads us to ask ourselves an important question: Where does the water that reaches our home come from? Well, –as Aquae Fundación explains– from rivers, wells, reservoirs, from the sea… and also from aquifers.
The latter are geological formations of rocks or sediments composed of permeable and porous materials that facilitate the filtration, storage, and extraction of rainwater. Today, in Spain, 15% of the population’s supply depends on these reserves, according to data from the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge. Having aquifers is essential for a country that is increasingly suffering from a rainfall deficit. However, to the challenge of the increasing drought, another must be added: 44% of the groundwater bodies of our geography are in poor condition, which affects an area of ​​some 140,000 km2.
According to the documents of the third cycle hydrological plans, the country has an available annual groundwater resource of 29,400 hm3 of water. But unfortunately, the aquifers have been overexploited –as has happened in Doñana since 2020– and contaminated by eutrophication, that is, by an excessive supply of nutrients that usually comes from human activities.
The most affected are those of Tablas de Daimiel, which, since 2014, have experienced an emptying of more than 1,000 hm3, as confirmed by the Geological and Mining Institute of Spain (IGME). An investigation carried out by Datadista for Greenpeace Spain indicates that the activities of macro-farms, together with the use of pesticides and pesticides, which can be detected even many years after having been prohibited, are also having a significant impact. Furthermore, the excess
of extractions in coastal environments causes an effect of saline contamination in the aquifers, which today already affects 13% of the water masses. The Water Framework Directive requires that these bodies be in good condition by 2027, but this does not seem achievable in that period.
The situation deserves a reflection that culminates in a firm commitment to solutions that ensure health and water quality, and that promote a sustainable use of water
underground. Beyond individual interests, it is convenient to guarantee the reliability of the controls, to put an end to the historical tolerance towards illegal irrigation, and to achieve a balance that makes economic and social needs compatible with the protection of the planet.
85% of the groundwater masses of the Guadiana basin are in poor global condition, denounces Greenpeace. This worrying figure implies that 17 of the 20 masses in the basin do not meet the environmental objectives established by Europe.
In this case, the most serious problem that poses a risk to the health of the population is that of nitrates, with 80% of the masses in poor condition due to exceeding the limit of 50 milligrams per liter of water.
Every year, 841.47 hm3 of groundwater are extracted from the Guadalquivir basin, of which about 90% is used for agricultural irrigation, according to the Greenpeace report. This lack of control over irrigation reaches such a point that it is already affecting human consumption.
Despite this, in the Guadalquivir there are currently 24 masses that do not even have a control point for water levels and in 16 of them there is only one. The result is reflected in points such as La Loma de Úbeda, an aquifer of more than 1,000 km2 totally damaged by overexploitation.
In the case of the Segura basin, abusive irrigation has damaged the aquifers, overexploiting and contaminating them, causing serious damage to ecosystems as important as the Mar Menor.
Currently, in the Segura demarcation there are 43 masses declared in poor condition, which represents 69% of the 63 in which the basin is classified.
