Drought forces the cutting off of irrigation water supplies in Murcia

The risk of domestic water supply restrictions in Murcia increases with every dry day

Much has already been said and written about the shortage of water in the Region of Murcia and the rest of the Segura basin, but on Wednesday the Confederación Hidrográfica del Segura (CHS) decided that the point has finally been reached where it is necessary to limit the supply to irrigation farmers.

In effect the decision made means that the “acequias” or irrigation ditches which are supplied by reservoirs in the upstream area of the River Segura will be left to run dry as of 1^st November, a measure which will remain in force until mid-December unless significant rainfall accrues in the meantime. The CHS estimates that this will result in a decrease in irrigation supplies of almost 40% for traditional farming techniques (i.e. irrigation systems which existed before 1933) and 49 per cent for others, and clarifies that the priority at present is to guarantee supplies for domestic and household consumption.

By way of justification, the CHS cites the figures which have become only too familiar in recent months: the drought in the Segura is already in its third year, the reservoirs in the basin are at only 13.6 per cent of capacity (6 per cent in the upstream area), and although the hydrological year which ended on 30^th September was wetter than the historical average a large proportion of the total fell in torrential storms last December. In addition, the heaviest rainfall in December was in coastal areas, rather than further inland where the water runs into reservoirs, and the amount of water entering the Segura’s reservoirs during the twelve months was the tenth lowest on record.

To be specific, the rain boosted the Segura’s water reserves by 215 cubic hectometres, but at the same time 337 hm3 were distributed, leaving the current reserves at just 155 hm3.

These are the most serious water restrictions imposed in the Segura basin since 1994 and 1995, when the supply was cut to homes in the city of Murcia on a daily basis. So controversial are they that when the CHS management committee voted on them the result was a tie at 16-16, and president Miguel Ángel Ródenas was obliged to cast his vote in order to decide the matter.

Sr Ródenas admitted afterwards that these measures are “very severe”, adding that nobody wants to implement them but they have become necessary in order to be sure that there will be water available next year. But on the other hand, the fact that the drought has become this serious means that inevitably there is a possibility that at some point in the not too distant future residents of the Region of Murcia will have to get used to being without running water for part of the day.

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