Sant Antoni rejects an artificial lake made with water for an Egyptian party

PalmaControversy in Sant Antoni de Portmany over an artificial lake installed during an Egyptian-themed party. The City Council has stated that it had no prior knowledge that the organization planned to create this ornamental element or to use water for it during the event, held last week at La Pedrera.

After the numerous criticisms the lake has generated, the Consistory has stepped in to distance itself from the decision. As explained in a statement, the descriptive report submitted by the organizers contained no reference to the installation, nor did it detail the dimensions or the amount of water needed to fill it.

According to a later statement by the organization, the water used came from tanker trucks and the amount used was much lower than initially published, around 170 tons.

"As this was an action that the City Council was not previously informed about, we do not have our own data on the exact volume used, its specific origin, or its subsequent destination," the City Council insisted. In any case, it wanted to "unequivocally" express its rejection of the organization's decision to use water to create an artificial lake for purely ornamental purposes.

In this regard, it considered it "an absolutely misguided, unnecessary, and difficult-to-justify action on an island where water is a scarce resource and where administrations have been calling for responsible use for years." "The fact that the water may have come from tanker trucks or that the amount finally used was less than published does not change the City Council's assessment at all," it insisted.

Furthermore, for the City Council, "the issue is not only how much water was used, but the decision to allocate it to a completely dispensable ornamental element and to do so, moreover, without the City Council being aware of it". As also pointed out, the authorized activity corresponded to a private, one-off event with limited capacity, and the main reason for authorizing it was its strong solidarity character, given that the organization had committed to making a contribution of 40,000 euros to Cáritas and 10,000 euros to the Motoclub of Ibiza and Formentera.

Sant Antoni has recalled that for years it has been working against these types of water uses and has made an investment effort to renew the municipal supply network, reduce losses, and significantly improve its performance, positioning the municipality among those with the best results in the Balearic Islands.

The City Council has practically finalized the new water saving ordinance, whose approval is planned before the end of the year and which will reinforce municipal policies for saving, efficiency, and responsible use of this resource. "We consider that an action of this nature is contrary to the message of responsibility and awareness that administrations must convey to citizens and businesses," he said.