The islands lose 67 million liters of water through the network every day.

PalmIn 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.

The islands lose 67 million liters of water daily through their pipes. "It's a tragedy, because we have to consider that right now, for every 100 liters we put into the network, more than 20 are lost. How can we ask citizens for commitment when it comes to managing such a scarce resource if we are incapable of having infrastructure in a condition that prevents this situation?" asks the director of the Alliance, familiar with the reality, with the difficulty of the Alliance improving this situation because he was the manager of Abaqua during the final stage of the Pact: "We can't engage in demagoguery; it's not easy to reverse the situation, but there is a fundamental element: the municipal commitment to repair the network. And this is being done far below what it should be," he asserts.

The reasons are very easy to explain, says Neus Prats, of GEN-GOB Ibiza, who believes that "city councils don't want to spend public resources on protecting water. And one example is the lack of investment in repair and maintenance of the network. These are projects that are invisible, and therefore, they don't propose a plan, and once the water has been used up, you realize they don't care about the future. It's devastating," she laments.

According to data from the Water Portal, of the 24.4 cubic hectometres lost through pipes in 2024, Mallorca was the island that contributed the most, with 18.4 hm3. The island that contributed the least was Formentera, although it lost more in 2024 than in 2023, as also happened to Ibiza, because the increase in consumption completely canceled out the small improvements to the networks. The islands will go from consuming 106.2 cubic hectometres in 2023 to 111.3 the following year. Formentera saw the greatest growth in percentage terms, with a 14.3% increase in water supplied in a single year, and Mallorca saw the greatest growth in absolute terms: the largest of the Balearic Islands consumed 4.4 billion more litres between 2023 and 2024.

Petit

"It's a shame that the increase in consumption somewhat covers up the good results of reducing leaks," emphasizes the Director General of Water Resources, Joan Calafat, who insists that "after a few years in which it seemed that nothing was improving, all the islands, with the exception of Ibiza, are improving as a whole. And it's not easy as a whole. The Government is getting involved, because our future is at stake. We are clear about this and we will not stop working until these figures improve."

Municipalities that lose more than 40%

Although the island averages range from 14.5% for Formentera to 24.7% for Ibiza, the reality for some municipalities is actually quite exaggerated. The worst results, by far, are Campos, which measures up to 67.1% of all the water it puts into its pipes, and Esporles, which is already at 58%. The most significant aspect is that both municipalities have worsened their records and, therefore, not only do they consume much more water than 25 years ago (see attached graph), but the percentage of water lost along the way is even higher.

Nor do the situation improve much further: Sineu, which today loses 41.8% of its water, compared to only 16.5% 25 years ago; Selva, which has gone from 31.1% to 50.3%; and Campanet, which already has 43% of its water used, compared to only 24.7% in 2000. Sant Antoni de Portmany is the most negative case in Ibiza, having gone from losing 17.6% to 24.6%, while in Menorca, Ciutadella has not managed to improve its 25% loss. However, with the increase in consumption due to urban growth, the water supplied has had to be increased, and therefore, so has the total water lost.

"And if a municipality reduces its losses by 5%, but population and tourism growth increases by 20% in one or two decades, what's happening is that it's dumping a lot more water. Because the total volume of the resource you have to put into the pipes is much higher, and so is the number of liters lost," he explains.

In this regard, he asserts that he finds it "very worrying that the public authorities are not making a decisive commitment to reducing this constant increase in tourist and residential capacity, because unfortunately there is no more water. The aquifers are overexploited, and the desalination plants are operating all summer long." "We will not have any new desalination plants in the short term, and therefore, it is time to implement other policies, which basically involve urban containment and improved management, including significant investment in detecting and repairing leaks," he concludes.

Even Menorca, traditionally presented as the island of balance and moderation in terms of urban growth, has recently experienced a considerable increase in water consumption. In just one year, it has gone from 9.6 hm3 consumed in 2023 to 10.1 in 2024, an increase of more than 5%. The Menorcan Institute of Studies and GOBMenorca warned this summer about the island's serious water situation. According to geologist Agustí Rodríguez (IME), who has stated on several occasions, "Menorcan aquifers are at very low levels, comparable to the most critical years, such as 2000," and in some areas have suffered declines of up to 28 meters since the 1980s.

This is causing aquifers to fail to recover despite rainfall, because water demand far exceeds natural recharge capacity, also stated Miquel Camps of the GOB (National Water Authority). Currently, there are more than 2,500 registered wells in Menorca, but only a small portion are truly controlled, making it very difficult to know and manage their actual consumption. Environmentalists and IME technicians believe that some uses are clearly unsustainable, such as watering gardens or filling swimming pools in a drought.

To reverse this situation, the proposals of Menorcan entities are basically aimed at reducing water demand by limiting non-essential uses, improving infrastructure to prevent leaks, implementing smart meters, and applying tariffs that penalize excessive consumption. Menorca is already in a pre-alert state for drought and "could reach a catastrophic scenario if bold decisions are not made," states the GOB (National Water Authority of Menorca).

Restrictions

As the reality is that urban and tourist growth cannot be halted, and at the same time, pipes are leaking 67 million liters daily, municipalities are finding it increasingly difficult to make it through the summer. This year, the islands have entered a critical phase in terms of water management. "The accumulated drought, high temperatures, and high summer consumption have led us to a complicated situation, which we must also analyze in the context of a very dry cycle," recalls the director general of water resources, Joan Calafat, who believes that "no matter how much awareness has been raised in the past, it is not enough. Water is one of the biggest issues."

This scenario of high consumption, drought, and increased residential and tourist consumption is forcing many municipalities to impose restrictions in an attempt to guarantee minimum supply and protect water resources. As underground reserves dwindle, municipal edicts, consumption limits, and calls for citizen responsibility are multiplying.

In Mallorca, several municipalities have taken drastic measures. In Estellencs, since spring, consumption has been limited to 120 liters per person per day, and watering, filling swimming pools, and cleaning cars are prohibited. In Esporles, restrictions include a ban on watering gardens with drinking water, outdoor cleaning, and recreational use. Banyalbufar implements nightly water cuts, currently on Fridays and Saturdays. Pressure is also mounting in the Pla de Mallorca region, where municipalities such as Porreres, Montuïri, and Algaida have had to be supplied with tanker trucks on a timely basis, and additional restrictions are being considered. In Sóller, recent restrictions have already reduced consumption by 11%.

In Menorca, the situation is especially delicate in Mahón, where the City Council has imposed strict restrictions: it has prohibited the use of mains water for non-essential purposes such as irrigation, filling swimming pools, washing vehicles, and showers on beaches. Although the rest of Menorca's municipalities have not decreed formal restrictions, many have launched information campaigns.

In Ibiza, the municipality of Santa Eulària has decreed flow restrictions for large consumers from June 1 to September 30, with the aim of saving more than 67,000 tons of water. In Vila (Ibiza city), the City Council has cut off water from municipal public fountains as a symbolic and practical measure to encourage savings. The situation on the island is worrying, especially in tourist areas with high seasonal demand. Neus Prats, of GEN-GOB, also laments that "not even the treated water can be used for agriculture because it has too much salt. It's time for everyone to take this issue seriously, or the consequences will be irreversible," the environmentalist asserts.