The Catalan government has given the green light for private sectors to install private mobile desalination plants, an option that is being considered. The Catalan Administration accepts this proposal on the condition that its promoters support the request for the projects based on the maintenance of jobs and economic activity. In addition, they must comply with the various environmental regulations and permits. The initial intention is that these desalination plants can be used to fill the swimming pools of hotels that can afford it, although it is not ruled out that other sectors may also propose the construction of these desalination plants.
Government spokespersons have insisted that the green light be given to desalination plants that will be private. However, the door is opened so that if there are surpluses of water, they can be shared with the supply network. The condition would be that agreements are reached and that the quality of the water is compatible.
“If they want to share the desalination plants with the municipalities, they will surely be able to do so,” summarized Josep Vidal, general secretary of the Department of Climate Action. “One of the key elements to allow private desalination plants is that this solution does not withdraw resources from the public network, but rather represents an extra contribution,” Vidal highlighted.
There would also be the option of them being projects promoted by several companies.
The promoters must present in their projects the details of how they plan to manage saline waste (salmorra). “And we know that they are working for it; they must have planned this,” said the general secretary of the Department of Climate Action.
The Catalan government admits that the authorization of desalination plants will entail a certain disadvantage (“logical”) for hotels and sectors that are far from the coast.
In fact, since it is a completely private initiative, the ability to install these plants will depend on the economic power of the promoters.
The need for these desalination plants can serve to provide a response in the current emergency phase in which it is prohibited to fill swimming pools or even refill them.
“We will allow desalination facilities for the different economic and social sectors to supply their activities as long as they comply with all the legal requirements established by the Catalan Water Agency and the municipalities,” said spokesperson Patricia Plaja. In many cases, these installations are located in public spaces.
Despite everything, the Government has not received any official request with formal projects, but “speaking with various sectors, especially tourism, we have heard in meetings voice proposals that are being worked on,” says Vidal. These proposals have not been officially presented, but companies and municipalities are working on it. “And they have told us that they will present them.”
“The requirement will be that these desalination plants are used for economic activity and the maintenance of jobs,” stressed Patrícia Plaja to rule out that desalinated water could be used to water gardens. In any case, the requirements that will be demanded of the projects must still be written.
The Government has decreed the second degree of emergency for 12 municipalities of the Alt Empordà, supplied by the waters of the Darnius Boadella, after verifying that the level of this reservoir is at 11%. With this change, Figueres, Cabanes, Cadaqués, Castelló d’Empúries, Fortià, Figueres, Llers, Riumors, Roses, Santa Llogaia de Álguema, Vilamalla, Vila-sacra and the Far d’Empordà move to emergency stage 2.
Meanwhile, a total of 227 will remain in emergency (202 from the Ter Llobregat system, 22 from the Fluvià Muga aquifer, 2 from Riudecanyes and Vallirana, from the Anoia-Gaià exploitation unit, requested by the City Council).
Emergency scenario 2 establishes that the total volumes of water entering the municipal tank to supply the population cannot exceed 180 liters per inhabitant per day (including economic and commercial activities).
The Government has also relaxed the restrictions on the use of water that it had implemented for the agricultural sector in the special drought plan. In this way, farmers achieve their objectives, made explicit in recent mobilizations. They have achieved their “particular amnesty.”
“They should save as much as they can to guarantee the survival (of the trees). But as each farm has made different investments, in this case it is difficult for us to make a linear reduction. Each farm will be able to reduce the water as much as it can,” said the secretary general of department. “Now we give the trees a guarantee of survival,” he added.
Farmers were forced to reduce their agricultural irrigation by 80% while the livestock sector had to cut it by 50%.
With these “surgical” flexibility, the 80% reduction in water use in those farms where the activity is based on woody or permanent crops (trees) will be void. In this way, the percentage of reduction will be the one that guarantees their survival.
In addition, agricultural farms will also be able to submit savings plans through a form on the ACA drought portal.
And in a complementary way, the Climate Action department has designed a shock plan to guarantee the viability of livestock farms without access to water.
“The government is working to ensure that the economic sectors are affected as little as possible on the day by these restrictions which, unfortunately, are not avoidable but are necessary,” said spokesperson Patrícia Plaja.
For the livestock sector, the requirements are also eliminated and moderated, to avoid the sacrifice of animals, among other impacts that are avoided.
The first measure is that the 50% reduction in water use will not be applied to those farms where the activity is based on reproductive females (pigs, cattle, sheep and goats for milk and meat, and poultry).
In the case of fattening farms (pig, beef and poultry), farmers must reduce water consumption by 50%, or the percentage approved in the savings plan, but through the measures that he himself considers appropriate.
Furthermore, the Government, to comply with the water limitation, will accept that the livestock farm be left empty of cattle during the period of time to meet this saving, but then it can fill 100% of the farm.
Farms will be able to present savings plans through a form on the ACA drought portal with criteria that can be accredited from the same department, without the rancher having to justify them with a subsequent procedure.
Vidal could not specify how many farms would benefit from these flexibility measures.
