MÉS proposes to establish moratoriums or limitations on new private swimming pools in areas with water stress

PalmaMÉS per Mallorca presented ten proposals this Friday to guarantee the availability and quality of water in Mallorca. The document includes a decalogue of "priority" commitments regarding water resources that cover measures at the regional, island, and municipal levels. The decalogue proposes restricting non-essential uses of drinking water in situations of pre-alert, alert, or drought emergency and establishing moratoriums or limitations on new private swimming pools in areas with water stress or overexploited aquifers. The measures include addressing climate change and drought and actions to guarantee public infrastructure and quality water in all municipalities, among others.

Water availability, binding for construction

MÉS per Mallorca also wants to recover and strengthen water sufficiency reports for certain urban planning changes, which have been exempted under the Omnibus Law. They believe it is necessary to go further and convert the actual availability of water into a prior and binding criterion for any new urban, residential, or tourist growth. They propose that the Territorial Plan of Mallorca and municipal plans incorporate water capacity as a determining element of carrying capacity and they "flatly" reject the amendment by the Balearic real estate developers to the Palma Capitality Law to be able to process projects pending the achievement of water sufficiency, as reported by ARA Balears.

"Mallorca cannot be dependent on whether it rains or on new desalination plants," said deputy Maria Ramon. "For too long we have acted as if water were an infinite resource. Territorial, urban, and tourism policy must adapt to the water we have and not try to indefinitely seek more water to adapt it to any growth," she added.

Investment plan

They also defend the need to move towards progressive consumption tariffs, which progressively tax those who consume the most. For this reason, they propose differentiating between large consumption and residential, tourist, commercial, and recreational uses from vulnerable households, so that the additional income is reinvested in the renovation of networks, reuse, sanitation, and recovery of aquifers. They also propose requiring large consumers to meet savings targets, water audits, and efficiency plans, especially in the tourism sector and intensive use activities.

In this sense, they propose a major investment plan in municipal networks with measures for saving and reuse, protection of aquifers, and territorial planning conditioned on the actual availability of water. This extraordinary investment plan in the water cycle aimed at town councils should have regional and island funding with the goal of renewing pipes, sectorizing and digitizing networks, and reducing leaks. "Before looking for more water, we must stop losing the water we already have and we must manage the available resources better," stated deputy Maria Ramon.

MÉS per Mallorca also proposes specific measures for the recovery of overexploited, salinized, or contaminated aquifers, in addition to strengthening the control of wells and extractions, protecting recharge zones, and reducing nitrate pollution.