The GOB environmental group has called for increased oversight of rural tourism establishments in Menorca following the shutdown of an illegal well at a luxury agritourism hotel in Alaior. The well, discovered during a joint operation by Civil Guard and Water Resources authorities, was extracting approximately 40,000 litres daily, raising serious concerns about water misuse in the sector.
The affected property, located at the former Llucalari batteries site and opened last year, features a main pool spanning nearly 500 square metres alongside twelve smaller 15-square-metre pools, despite having just 30 tourist accommodations. Environmental activists suggest the undeclared well might have been used for frequent pool water changes, potentially on a near-daily basis for the smaller pools.
This incident follows two other cases in the same municipality. At Torre Vella, GOB reported seven unauthorised pools that were initially presented in planning documents as water-saving cisterns. Similarly, at Sant Llorenç, a separate establishment theoretically sharing the same agricultural operation was found to have nine unlicensed pools also disguised as cisterns. The Urban Discipline Consortium has confirmed these irregularities and maintains an open investigation.
The issue extends beyond Alaior, with Ciutadella reporting a case involving 13 unlicensed pools. In Maó, a private lawn covering 20,000 square metres consumes water equivalent to 800 residents' usage, while extensive irrigation systems along the main road operate during peak sunlight hours.
"When water becomes a scarce resource, administrations must prioritise resident population needs," states the GOB, advocating for targeted inspections of high-volume consumers using water for luxury or business purposes. The organisation hopes this intervention marks the beginning of robust measures to end the wasteful use of this vital resource for Menorca's quality of life and natural environment preservation.