Experts warn that half of the groundwater in the Islands is in poor environmental condition

PalmThe Pla de Mallorca XXI association has organized this Saturday, November 29, at the Convent of the Dominicans of Lloret de Vistalegre a day of debate dedicated to analyzing the water situation in the Pla de Mallorca, one of the most urgent environmental challenges facing the territory today.

The event is part of the activities programmed by the Climate Academy – created in October with the aim of raising awareness and educating citizens about climate change and the challenges it entails and to promote new ideas to advance a just ecological transition – and has brought together experts, entities and institutional representatives in a water-related event that is increasingly threatened by drought, pressure on aquifers and the impact of climate change.

As Cels Garcia, professor in the Department of Geography at the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB) and principal investigator of the consolidated R&D group on Water Resources and Urban Studies, explained during the conference, up to 38 groundwater bodies in the Balearic Islands (43.7%) are currently in poor quantitative condition, meaning they have lost less water. A groundwater body is considered to be in good quantitative condition when current extraction does not exceed 80% of the available resource; extraction above this percentage indicates poor condition.

García added that, furthermore, the chemical status indicates an even higher number of water bodies in poor condition. The chemical status of groundwater bodies is defined by the concentration of nitrates, chlorides, and other substances. In this regard, he explained that municipalities such as Algaida, Lloret, and especially Petra have nitrate and chloride levels far exceeding legal limits in their groundwater. In fact, the expert added,, Half of the groundwater bodies are in poor environmental condition.

According to the expert, the problem is that the planning in the Hydrological Plan "is based on the assumption that 100 percent of the water is available, while in reality, this availability is only 50 percent." Regarding the wastewater treatment plants in Pla de Mallorca, the expert stated that the effluent that most of the plants discharge into the streams has chloride levels exceeding 250, which hinders the use of this water for aquifer recharge.

For his part, the Director General of Water Resources for the Balearic Islands Government, Joan Calafat, largely shared García's assessment and, for example, asserted that the water unit of the Plan "has shown a trend in recent years that has already placed it in an emergency situation." "We are at 44% water availability by October 2025. We cannot be complacent," the director warned.

Calafat also addressed the current legislative framework—marked by the drafting of the new Hydrological Plan—and future water management policies. He indicated that the Hydrological Plan must be based on improving efficiency, guaranteeing resources, and managing demand, with measures to prevent pollution and promote water regeneration.

The initial documents for the fourth cycle of the Balearic Islands' hydrological planning review (2028-2033) are currently open for public consultation. These documents initiate the review process of the existing hydrological plan, a process that must conclude before December 31, 2027, with the final approval of the Balearic Islands' hydrological plan. Regarding the hydrological plan, Cels Garcia noted that the data for this fourth cycle of hydrological planning show a deterioration in groundwater levels compared to the previous cycle.

Following the presentations by Cels Garcia and Joan Calafat, a panel discussion took place in which Miquel Coll, president of Apaema; Tomeu Vilafranca, president of Hidrobal; and Biel Vicenç, biologist and researcher, exchanged opinions and analyses on the challenges facing the Mallorca Plan due to the progressive loss of water resources and their management. They highlighted the existing difficulties in making water potable in the region and suggested that organic farming and livestock raising can contribute to improving both the environmental condition of groundwater bodies and the overall state of this resource.

The documentary The path of waterThe book by Miquel Micer and Pep Cirer – in which the authors discuss the negative effects of human activity on riverbeds, both for agriculture and the environment in general – has completed an intense day of work and debate on water and the need for more respectful management of this resource to guarantee its future.

The president of the Mancomunidad del Plan, Joana Maria Pascual Sansó, was in charge of closing the day, which was attended by representatives of different municipalities of the Plan and during which the importance of involving citizens, the agricultural sector and institutions in a debate that affects the future of the territory and that requires responsibility was highlighted.