Barcelona and its neighboring cities are set to experience a significant surge in water bills due to an enduring drought in Spain’s northeast, leading to elevated costs for desalination and water purification, as reported by the Barcelona Metropolitan Area on Tuesday.
Residents in 23 municipalities, including Spain’s second-largest city, can anticipate an 11-16% increase in their water bills. Spain has witnessed a 17% decrease in rainfall since September of the previous year, with some reservoirs in Catalonia and Andalucia as low as 15% capacity.
This move follows similar announcements in southern cities like Sevilla and Malaga earlier this year, while water charges in the Barcelona area had remained relatively stable in recent times. Catalonia, grappling with its most severe recorded drought, recently declared a pre-emergency phase for parts of the region, prompting a reduction in permitted water consumption to 210 liters per day per resident.
The scarcity has necessitated enhanced water treatment efforts due to sluggish rivers, leading to increased reliance on costly desalination plants. Contingency plans include potential water deliveries by ship, and there are initiatives underway to construct new desalination plants to address the growing water challenges.
