2023 was the fifth driest on record for measurements. The situation has improved significantly in the last twelve months, with abundant rains allowing numerous reservoirs to fill.
Drought in Andalusia. What prohibitions were in force?
In line with a decision by the local authorities, all beach showers in the province of Malaga were put out of service last year. Only those adapted for people with disabilities and reduced mobility were in operation. The reason for shutting down the showers was the drought that Andalusia was facing.
This decision, however, caused considerable controversy. The daily Diario Sur reported, citing government officials, that the action was primarily educational. The savings themselves were small, as beach showers account for just 0.24 per cent of the city’s total water consumption.
Other restrictions were also in place: a ban on filling swimming pools with drinking water, a ban on washing cars outside specialised areas, or a ban on irrigating golf courses or ornamental fountains with drinking water (except those with closed circulation). In Málaga and the municipality of Axarquia, the maximum daily water consumption per inhabitant has been set at 180 litres. In Marbella, it is set at 200 litres.
Last spring, Sotogrande, which is very popular with foreign tourists, experienced interruptions in the supply of running water. Local authorities in April ordered residents to fill tanks and stock up on bottled water. Dozens of homes in the village of Valle Romano near Estepona were deprived of water for five days. Earlier in February, the water pressure in taps was lowered for the first time in 29 years.
Dry years behind us
It is hardly surprising that the authorities have introduced so many restrictions on water consumption. 2023 in Andalusia went down as the driest in three decades and the fifth driest ever measured. All the main hydrological stations in the region recorded rainfall totals – on an annual basis – 45 per cent below normal. This compares with 16 per cent below average rainfall in 2022, also a dry year.
In 2024, the situation has improved significantly. Rainfall totals were still below normal, but the spring and autumn rains allowed the reservoirs to fill with water. The first wave of rain hit the Costa del Sol region at Easter. The next rainy month in virtually all of Andalusia, as in all parts of Spain, was October. The Spanish coast was then hit by DANA (an intense storm phenomenon that occurs regularly in the Mediterranean). Two flood waves swept through many towns and cities.
The first quarter of 2025 brought further rainfall. At the end of March 2025, the filling level of all reservoirs in the province of Málaga is 3 times higher than in the same period of the previous year. March 2025 proved to be the rainiest March since 2004.
The Embalse de la Concepcion reservoir, a key reservoir for Marbella and its surroundings, is almost 85% full and the water level is also three times higher than it was in March 2024 Updated data can be checked daily on the website.
According to the provincial authorities, the water reserves currently stored in the reservoirs cover the demand for 24 months.
Nationwide, the filling level of reservoirs now stands at 66 per cent. This is more than ten percentage points higher than the previous year (56.8 per cent), thus exceeding the average of the last ten years.
Desalination of water in Andalusia
The long-term solution is to expand seawater desalination plants in the region. There are currently six such plants in Andalusia, four of which desalinate seawater. The plants (their Spanish name is desaladoras) are located in Marbella, Almeria, Carboneras and Rambla Morales. On the other hand, groundwater desalination plants(desalobradoras) are in operation in El Atabal and Palomeras.
The Spanish government has recently approved another such investment. It is known that it will be built in the municipality of Axarquia, but its exact location is not yet known. At the same time, the expansion of a seawater desalination plant in Marbella is underway. The first phase of the investment is expected to be completed in the current quarter. The plant, operated by Acosol, can produce around 15 cubic hectometres of water per year. Ultimately, the plant is expected to cover between 15 and even 25 per cent of the drinking water needs of its area.
Desalination of seawater, involves the removal of salts and other dissolved substances from the water. The most common methods of desalination are distillation, electrodialysis or reverse osmosis using semi-permeable filters. In contrast, the world’s largest desalination plants are located in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
