The Catalan Government has once again categorically rejected the proposal to connect the Tarragona Water Consortium (CAT) network with the Barcelona metropolitan network as a solution to deal with the droughts in the central region of Catalonia, Girona and the Coast Brava “There are alternatives” to the interconnection of networks, indicated the secretary general of the Department of Climate Action, Josep Vidal.
The refusal was expressed in response to the proposal made by the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce. Previously, four professional associations (grouped in the Intercollegiate Water Observatory) launched the idea of ??resuming the project of bringing unused water from the mini transfer concession in Tarragona to the Barcelona region. “We are working on an alternative that does not include the possibility of interconnection”, said Vidal. The Chamber judged on Wednesday that the interconnection is an “indispensable” and the “most practical” solution given the lack of resources for the Barcelona region and the emergency posed by the drought.
Meanwhile, the Government maintains the plan to transport water by boat from the desalination plant of the Central Administration of Sagunto, which could be operational at the beginning of June. Josep Vidal indicated that regular contacts with the Ministry for Ecological Transition continue. He also confirmed that the intention is to achieve maximum efficiency and operability in unloading at the port of Barcelona, ??so it is not ruled out that some charter can be organized from other ports in the Levant. “The councilor [David Mascort] has said that if necessary, we will look for water from wherever it is needed”, recalled the general secretary.
On the other hand, the Government is analyzing the preliminary study presented by the Lloret de Mar City Council to install a desalination plant, promoted by the hoteliers of this Girona municipality. The document is now being evaluated in contact with the promoters because there are some elements that need to be “clarified”.
The spokeswoman for the Government, Patrícia Plaja, congratulated herself on the water savings achieved in the central region of Catalonia, which amounted to 9%, and ruled out that the state of emergency could be lifted simply because exceed the threshold of 16% capacity of the Ter and Llobregat reservoirs (now at 15%). “We hope that April, a wet month in Catalonia, will bring us the water we need. But if it means a lower variation or we think that the improvement will only last for days or weeks, there will be no modification”.
On the other hand, this time Vidal did not rule out that the municipal swimming pools could be opened in the summer (which would mean a change in the special drought plan), as requested by the municipal associations, with which contacts are maintained for determine under which circumstances they could be considered as climate shelters to justify their opening.
The board of directors of the Catalan Water Agency (ACA) has approved an increase of eight million euros in the budget for the line of aid aimed at improving the efficiency of municipal networks. In total, it will be 128 million euros, from which 707 municipalities will benefit with 824 subsidies. The ACA has decided to expand the initial amount of 120 million to accommodate all requests that meet the requirements set out in the call basis. The main actions will be to reduce water losses in the network, rehabilitate or waterproof tanks, digitize the networks and carry out leak research and repair campaigns.
