The mayor of Algaida, Margalida Fullana, criticises the Consell for extracting water from the aquifers to water the Manacor road while the municipalities suffer supply cuts. Esporles threatens fines for those exceeding 340 litres daily.
The drought in Mallorca shows no mercy and the administrations, far from coordinating, seem to be competing to see who acts worse. While the Consell de Mallorca waters the Manacor road with water from the aquifers in the midst of a yellow alert, municipalities like Algaida and Esporles are seeing their supply suffer and residents are left without water. The paradox does not go unnoticed by the mayors, who have already raised their voices.
Water for the verges, not for the taps
Margalida Fullana, mayor of Algaida, does not hide her indignation. “It is incomprehensible that the Consell uses water from our aquifers to water a road while the villages lack resources,” she stated. The extraction, intended for the maintenance of the road, occurs in a context of increasing restrictions in the Pla region, where the level of the aquifers is at a minimum.
Fullana's criticism points directly to the lack of coordination between administrations. “The promises of network interconnection and new wells remain unfulfilled. Then, when the heat arrives, they ask us citizens to save, but they do not lead by example,” added the mayor, who represents one of the municipalities most affected by the drought in Mallorca.
Supply cuts and threat of fines in Esporles
In Esporles, the situation is no better. The mayor, Josep Ferrà, has announced that fines will be imposed on those exceeding 340 litres daily consumption or making non-essential use of water, such as filling pools or watering gardens. “We do not want to reach this point, but the lack of foresight forces us,” explained Ferrà, who claims that the municipality is already suffering supply cuts in areas like ses Rotgetes and Jardín de Flores.
The underlying problem, according to Ferrà, is that the second well needed to guarantee supply is blocked by administrative delays. “We have been waiting for months for an agreement with Abacua, but everything is dragging on. Meanwhile, the residents suffer,” he lamented. The situation is particularly critical in the Tramuntana and Pla areas, where the drought threatens to leave the population without water if urgent measures are not taken.
A summer of announced drought
Between the restrictions of last summer and those of this year, there have been barely any advances. Authorities have announced projects for network interconnection and new wells, but without concrete deadlines or real investments. Meanwhile, tourism continues to grow, along with the demand for water for holiday rentals and tourist operations. “Everything is interconnected except for the necessary water levels,” a community spokesperson quipped.
The institutional discoordination not only generates water cuts but also political disaffection. The residents of Algaida and Esporles see their leaders blaming each other while the tap runs dry. “It is not just a problem of resources; it is a matter of political will,” concluded Fullana.
Looking ahead to summer, the municipalities are requesting an urgent meeting with the Consell to coordinate measures. In the meantime, citizens will have to live with restrictions and cuts. The next meeting is expected in July, when the Consell is expected to present an emergency plan. Until then, every drop counts.
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