According to the most recent population figures, Estellencs has 369 inhabitants. The second smallest municipality in Mallorca after Escorca (roughly 200 people), Estellencs has a water-supply problem. Over the past two years, there have been water restrictions, the local sources, primarily the Ull de l’Aigua spring, having been insufficient.
The mayor, Bernat Isern, is now planning the construction of a small desalination plant that would guarantee a year-round supply of potable water. This decision was made after more than a year of searching for solutions. New surveys were carried out to find water, only to discover that the existing aquifers were either insufficient or lack the necessary quality. Given this situation, the town hall has opted for desalination. "We need to find real solutions," the mayor insists.
The Balearics ministry of the sea and the water cycle is to subsidise the project with a grant to the town hall of €321,450. In February, exploratory drillings will be made in the Cala area to locate wells for the extraction and infiltration of desalinated water. The next step will be the installation of the pipeline network.
The plant will be on a plot of land near the cemetery - "the only available space we have and where we also plan to build the municipal reservoir". There will be a desalination capacity of 200 tonnes of water per day. "Current consumption is around 40 tonnes. We don't want to have to use the desalination plant at its maximum capacity. The goal is for it to operate using solar panels and run for about four or five hours a day to guarantee water supplies," adds Isern.
This project will be possible now that the municipality has digitalised all the water meters. "We now have zero leaks, so we know the actual consumption." Water loss has been reduced by 40 tonnes. "Eliminating leaks is key to efficient water consumption," stresses the mayor.