For many towns and cities that are not connected to an overhead supply network or that do not depend on reservoirs, but rather on bodies of underground water, resisting drought has become an odyssey. At the beginning, when the wells became scarce, the mayors of these towns, in some cases with a few hundred inhabitants, ran to request tanker trucks to sustain the water supply to the neighbors. But the shortage is already 34 months that lastsand faced with what could be a third summer of difficulties, these town councils have had no choice but to ask for help.
In total, the Catalan Water Agency (ACA) has awarded subsidies to 59 municipalities who depend on these vehicles to continue having water. In total, the aid amounts to just over one million euros. In relation to the economic waste that the drought is causing, these 1.3 million do not represent a very large amount. But they serve to x-ray the magnitude of this crisis.
In some cases, traveling tankers have been installed, offering water through a tap in the vehicle. On other occasions, the trucks connect directly to the town’s supply network to supply water to homes. Therefore, the ACA aid is aimed at covering the costs of the tanker truck but also at paying for the works necessary to connect the tanker to the municipal deposit.
Fixed trucks
Aid has been granted in the four provinces: 20 in Lleida, 19 in Barcelona, 17 in Tarragona and 3 in Girona. Moianès and Anoia are two of the regions that have received the most subsidies. The aid amounts to 100,000 euros, although in many cases, the amounts allocated to this problem are smaller. The towns that will receive the most money are Castellcir, Mediona, L’Espluga de Francolí, Masllorenç, Alforja and Castellbell i el Vilar.
The problem is cumulative, since this is the last item of aid promoted by the department. However, in the last two years, 213 aid has already been given and, in total, more than four million euros have been invested to supply the towns that have required Tank trucks.
Related news
The Generalitat, in the last hours, approved to increase 90 to 200 million of euros of aid destined to the local world to face the drought, with investments focused on a more responsible use of water and improving the efficiency of the networks, which still suffer from leaks that cause enormous water losses. Councilor David Mascort explained that there are already 880 applications from more than 700 locations. For this reason, the amount allocated to repair water leaks in municipal networks will increase to 120 million euros and not 50 as planned.
However, while this aid is not resolved, and, therefore, the works do not begin, the urgency of some municipalities continues to force them to travel to tanker truckswhile new wells are being dug or work to improve the supply network is expected to begin.