As every summer, the Balearic Islands Government publishes data on water consumption and losses in the island municipalities' water supply networks. This year, these data were released in September, at the same time as the Government itself announced the entry into a drought alert for the island of Ibiza and a large part of the municipalities of the Pla de Mallorca region. The rest of the islands' territories are not entirely spared and have been in a worrying pre-drought alert situation for some time. Only Formentera is in a normal situation, largely because it does not depend on groundwater, given that 100% of urban water consumption and consumption on rural land is supplied with desalinated water. It could be said that without the desalination plant, Formentera would be hydrically dead. Or in other words, it's like having a patient living a normal life without knowing that they are completely dependent on technology and the associated energy dependence, with the risks that this entails.

In 2024, the Balearic Islands consumed a total of 111.3 cubic hectometres of water, or 111.3 billion litres, which represents a staggering increase of more than 4.8% in a single year compared to 2023. But the most worrying aspect is that a 24.4 cubic hectometres of water within a 2024 dam did not reach its destination because it was lost due to the countless cracks and leaks in the distribution system. The data, which has just been published by the Balearic Water Agency, basically conveys two ideas: the situation is improving slightly with a very small reduction in leaks, but the significant increase in consumption year after year means this is not noticeable, and therefore the water demand continues to far exceed available resources.