Living without a drop of drinking water coming out of the tap. Water in a bottle or jug to drink, to cook and even to clean the dishes. The most feared scenario of the worst drought that has affected Catalonia in a century has become a reality in two towns in Priorat, with 200 residents each: Vilella Baixa and Bisbal de Falset. The nightmare began at the end of August.
Its fountains and wells are almost dry due to the lack of rain and the Margalef (Priorat) reservoir, which had guaranteed drinking water since it was inaugurated (1994), is so low that its poor flow is not drinkable. Margalef, Figuera and Cabacés also drank from the swamp, but in their case they have their own resources to, for now, get by.
The water that comes out of the tap in the homes or businesses of Vilella Baixa, the municipality in the worst situation, is cloudy; It becomes clearly visible if it is collected in a bucket. “And some days it smells very bad, like fish,” says an older neighbor. To shower and wash. And thanks.
An annoying and distressing panorama, with neighbors looking at the sky and the Generalitat and the affected town councils searching for emergency solutions for more than two months. “We feel abandoned, if this were happening in a more populated area, an alternative would have already been found,” criticizes Enric Sabaté, owner of a century-old business, producer of artisan sausages (Cal Centro), in Vilella Baixa; It is also a bar and shop. Every week they use 500 liters of drinking water that they now have to bring with tankers.
There is pessimism, anger and some resignation in this beautiful town, known as the New York of the Priorat. With an aging population, residents cope as best they can from day to day. The City Council distributes water weekly in jugs, eight liters per person, a measure that is just a relief.
Businesses bear the brunt. At the Ca l'Artur restaurant they are desperate. “If I could I would close; I'm thinking about it,” explains Arturo Bordalàs, its owner. “We have to wash everything with bottled water, we can't even use the dishwasher,” he adds.
For wineries, in a wine land like Priorat, it is also a problem. Drinking water is needed to clean the tubs. “We do it with jugs of water,” explains Sergi Siuraneta, from the Il·lusionistes winery, in La Vilella.
The Catalan Water Agency (ACA) has been seeking a solution together with the town councils affected since September. The arrival of tanker trucks was ruled out from the outset for technical reasons. On the table, delivering water from Palma d'Ebre (Ribera d'Ebre) taking advantage of an existing connection with the Margalef reservoir. A complementary work is missing.
A solution that Samuel Reyes, director of the ACA, took for granted a few days ago. Marta Camp, the mayor of Vilella Baixa, prefers not to make assessments as long as nothing is closed. “We continue to distribute bottled water,” she says. The mayor is suffering like few others from the lack of drinking water. “We hope to find a solution with the ACA and Acció Climàtica because it will be very difficult to sustain this situation,” she said a month ago.
In Bisbal de Falset they learned on Saturday that the water from one of their wells is drinkable again, analysis in hand. “We have spent these two months as best we could. After the summer, consumption fell and the well has recovered a little,” confirms its mayor, Òscar Vidal. “What forecast do we have? Wait for it to rain.”
“We demand the attention of higher administrations, we deserve it,” highlights Sergi Méndez, president of the Priorat Regional Council, who explains that he has felt “accompanied” by the Government. They work with the municipalities of the region, in contact with the ACA, to seek emergency and also medium-term solutions. “A lot of work is being done, but technically the solution is not as quick as we wanted to think,” he admits.
Paradoxes of the drought, the lack of drinking water in Priorat has exploded in the Margalef reservoir, the responsibility of the Ebro Hydrographic Confederation (CHE), when all the sources have always been in the neighboring Siurana reservoir, also at minimum levels.
“In Priorat we have three reservoirs and we are thirsty, the solution is to look for alternatives and change the water policy,” adds Méndez, mayor of Ulldemolins.
