The western Costa del Sol, which covers eleven municipalities in Málaga including Manilva, has moved from severe to moderate water scarcity and the maximum consumption limit has been raised to 225 litres per inhabitant per day. This was announced yesterday by Acosol, the company responsible for water supply in the area, which includes the towns of Torremolinos, Mijas, Benalmádena, Fuengirola, Marbella, Estepona, Manilva, Ojén, Istán, Benahavís and Casares
According to a statement issued by the company, this measure forms part of the actions arising from the Order of 21 January 2025, published in the Official Gazette of the Junta de Andalucía (BOJA), which declares a state of drought in the Andalusian Mediterranean Basins. The decision was taken following the meeting of the Drought Commission of the river basin district, held last December, attended by representatives of the Junta de Andalucía, water users, and business, trade union and environmental organisations.
During the meeting, the hydrological situation of the western Costa del Sol was analysed and measures were approved to guarantee the supply for human consumption, as well as to reduce the social, environmental and economic impacts of the drought, which has affected the region for more than two years.
Use of non-conventional resources and call for responsible consumption
Acosol also stressed that the use of non-conventional resources, such as desalinated water and reclaimed water, will be maximised to tackle the shortage. The company stressed the importance of maintaining responsible consumption and respecting the established limit of 225 litres per person per day, as set out in the BOJA.
«We will carry out permanent review and monitoring of consumption to ensure it complies with that 225 litres per inhabitant per day, which is the only limit set by the BOJA», and therefore they ask for «responsible consumption as we must continue to preserve our water resources», the company said, while asking the public to cooperate in preserving water resources. They also warned that, if this measure is not complied with, additional restrictions could be introduced.
The moderate scarcity situation represents an improvement on the severe scarcity that affected the area in recent months. However, the authorities stress the need to keep using water efficiently to avoid future problems with the supply.
