The government will desalinate more water to reduce aquifer withdrawals.

PalmThe Government has changed its strategy and is using desalination systems "to the fullest extent" during the winter – the time of year when these facilities were previously shut down – with the aim of "reducing water extraction as much as possible." aquifers "So that they can recover with the rains," reported the Director General of Water Resources, Joan Calafat, this Wednesday. He assured that the Islands are in a "complicated but controlled" situation, although it is 10 points below last year's levels. The Director General pointed out that the Islands' water reserves are on "a clear path to recovery." In this regard, he exemplified that water reserves in Ibiza have increased by 19 percent compared to two months ago "due to the rains, which have raised reserves from 28% to 47%." In Mallorca, the increase has been 4%, and Menorca is the island where the percentage increase has been smallest – from 43% to 44% – due to the rainfall pattern. The Pla de Mallorca and Artà areas remain on alert. Ibiza has moved from alert to pre-alert due to the increase in rainfall. This has reduced the water supply for municipalities that were previously forced to purchase water.

To compensate for these additional costs, the Balearic Government has launched a grant program for towns that have incurred these expenses, which the Minister of the Sea and the Water Cycle, José Manuel Lafuente, has described as "exceptional." The grant program totals €700,000 and will be allocated to municipalities that have been under drought alert, as well as towns with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants that were under pre-alert during 2025. The deadline for applications is this Thursday because, according to Calafat, the Government intends to... Furthermore, he stated that this grant "would initially cover 100% of the additional costs incurred by the municipalities, and if necessary, a pro-rata distribution would be made once the exact number of applications received is known." On the other hand, Calafat celebrated that applications have already been received, such as that of the Pla de Mallorca Commonwealth.