Water consumption in Mallorca increased by 5.5% in 2024 and comes mainly from aquifers

In 2024, water consumption in Mallorca increased by 5.5% compared to the previous year, in a context where the island's aquifers are in a "worrying" state, according to data from the second report of the Environmental Sustainability Observatory prepared by the Mallorca Preservation Foundation. This increase in consumption occurred during a period in which, according to the Foundation's data, 43.5% of the groundwater bodies were in a "poor condition" due to overexploitation and salinization of these facilities. Despite the poor state of the aquifers, 65% of Mallorca's water supply comes from groundwater sources, while 16% comes from desalination plants. The Foundation's report links the overexploitation of the aquifers to the poor state of the water reserves, which, it shows, were "below 60% of capacity" in 2024. For her part, the Foundation's director, Ana Riera, considered that one of Mallorca's challenges is controlling water consumption, which, in her opinion, requires greater investment in water cycle infrastructure to reduce losses, improve wastewater treatment, and prepare treated water for irrigation. The Balearic Government is also aware of the state of the islands' aquifers and, therefore, 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," the Director General of Water Resources, Joan Calafat, reported on Wednesday.

The report also delves into various data collected by public services related to nine of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. One of these is the area of organic farmland cultivated in Mallorca, which grew by 6.4% last year, reaching 40,156 hectares. Therefore, the Foundation's project coordinator, Irene Wagner, believes the island is "on track" to reach 25% organic farmland by 2030. Wagner also highlighted the renewable energy production—primarily solar photovoltaics—in 2024. She added that 20% of the energy consumed in Mallorca comes from the submarine cable link to the Spanish mainland and stated that around half of the transferred power is from renewable sources. He also emphasized the amount of waste generated on the island, which in 2024 was 540.2 kg per person, with nearly 80% being waste, and the increase in sea temperature, which at the surface reached 30 degrees Celsius before July 2025.