The Andalusian regional government is negotiating with hotels over water meters in the rooms to save water and is also studying the filling of swimming pools with seawater, a measure that Catalonia already includes in its emergency decree due to the drought.
In Mallorca, Valldemossa, for example, has already banned the filling of swimming pools, the watering of gardens and the washing of cars with water from the mains and other municipalities across the Balearics are monitoring the water situation as the tourist season nears and resources remain low.
Much of the Balearics is on a pre-drought alert.
The Regional Ministry of Tourism is making progress with the hotel sector, with almost 350 litres of water consumed per day per guest, on the incorporation of individual meters so that those who consume more pay more, according to El Correo de Andalucía.
These meters would be installed in strategic places, such as the access to the bathrooms, and the placement and implementation of the device would be paid for by the hotel, while the control of the use and the associated cost is also managed internally by the reception itself.
The Regional Ministry, according to Arturo Bernal’s team, “is sensitive to the drought situation in Andalusia and is analysing the implementation of some measure that will have an impact on the rational and efficient use of water. Any measure that is implemented will necessarily have the consensus of the sector”.
In Andalusia, where the average amount of water in reservoirs is 25% of capacity, the tourism sector contributes 17 billion euros a year.
Another of the proposals on the table is the universalisation of grey water reuse for irrigation, which involves a system for the collection, purification and reuse of water from laundry and cooking.
Specifically, it is these last two areas of hotels that account for the majority of water consumption in any hotel, not only in Andalusia but throughout the world, adds Seville’s leading newspaper.
And, should resources continue to suffer in parts of the Balearics, could Mallorcan hotels be made to consider taking a similar approach?