In Barcelona, ​​the water pressure in the tap will be low

In Barcelona, ​​it hasn’t rained, or not enough, for three years. Water supply is at an all-time low and authorities will soon reduce tap water pressure in the city and its suburbs.

By the end of the month, tap water will flow more gently in Barcelona’s kitchens and bathrooms. Weeks passed and it still hadn’t rained. So the authorities, facing this historic drought, are taking new measures to further reduce water consumption.

The region’s water retention basins are at an all-time low, at just 16% of their capacity. A drought emergency will be declared in a few days. And so the pressure in the taps will drop, but some residents will see it more than others, explains Josep Luis Arenter, head of the drought plan in Catalonia.

“When we lower the pressure, the people on the ground floor won’t notice it, but the people above will notice the change.”

Josep Luis Arenter, responsible for the plan against drought in Catalonia

at franceinfo

By reducing the tap pressure, water consumption should decrease by 7%. A measure that Catalina, the mother, understands. “It has not rained for months. We are very worried. Obviously, no one is happy to be deprived of some water in daily life. But it is necessary,” She agrees. She is making efforts to reduce her consumption. “At home, when we run water for heating, we collect the cold water and reuse it for the toilet.she explains. And then the daily bath is too short.”

Try to avoid water cuts

and other restrictions will apply. It would be prohibited, for example, to wash your vehicle, water your garden or fill your swimming pool. Agriculture and industry will have to further reduce their water consumption. In the city, in Barcelona, ​​gardens and parks have not been watered for almost a year. result : Around 500 Trees died and had to be cut down.

Catalonia is now preparing to bring in water by boat to deal with the crisis. “One boat can carry between 20 000 and 30 000 cubic meters of waterclarifies David Mascourt, regional minister for the environment. It may be a mere surgical operation to deliver water to certain strategic locations in the region. This is not a solution to drought.”

Officials hope to avoid water cuts at certain times of the day. But given the rate at which the drought is progressing and the absence of rain forecast, nothing can be guaranteed.