Rains fail to ease water shortage in Valencia

THE episode of rains in recent days has failed to alleviate the critical water shortage situation in the province. Beniarrés, Guadalest and Amadorio remain at low levels despite the recent storm contributing 200,000 and 40,000 cubic metres of water reserves.

The heaviest rainfall was recorded on the coast, which meant that a lot of the water escaped the reserves and went directly into the sea instead of being captured by the dams and river ravines located further inland.

Beniarrés wetland area has approximately 3.63 hectometres after receiving in recent days as a result 200,000 cubic metres of rainfall. However, this has only marginally increased its capacity to 13 per cent from 12.6 per cent.

In Guadalest, an extra 40,000 cubic metres was added during the rains, with water storage at 2.17 hectometres and capacity is still just at 16 per cent.

In Amadorio, located in Villajoyosa, again an additional 40,000 cubic metres fell during the period, resulting in storage levels at 0.55 hectometres just 3 per cent of its capacity.

According to information from the Water Consortium of Marina Baixa, Algar and Polop have increased their volume by 15 to 20 per cent, and the wetland areas have recovered about 40,000 cubic metres so it is an improvement from the decline that they had been experiencing in the region.

These figures, according to sources of the Consortium on the total capacity of both aquifers (underground sources of water that can be extracted using wells) and reservoirs may seem poor, considering the capacity that they can hold. However, they indicate the importance that for the first time, wetland areas have regained some life.