At least 20 new urbanisation projects have been rejected in Alicante Province because of the water supply situation.
Environment ministers made the announcement while visiting Murcia to hold talks with members of the agriculture sector and
added they were firmly behind the water confederations in their efforts to slow down urban development in Alicante Province.
A spokesman for the water confederation said although each project was at different stages of the administrative process,
they had decided to reject them because the predicted water consumption could not be guaranteed while the present drought conditions continue.
The water confederations are allowed by current legislation to have their say on proposed developments said that any project that
does not have a legal and secure supply of water or ones where the promoters cannot certify proper access to water will be rejected.
Drier than the Sahara
According to reports released this week, Alicante Province has registered less rain fall this year than the Sahel region of the Sahara.
Alicante University's weather laboratory said there has only been three days of rain since January and rainfall, in general, has dropped
by 60 per cent. The weather lab said that during the period, rainfall has been registered at 90 litres per square metre, just over half of that
registered in the Sahara. During the same period, rainfall was measured at 150 litres per square metre.
Well Well
Alicante Province has announced that a new law governing the use of rainwater stored in tanks has come into force.
The law allows people to install tanks for storage of rain water and financial help by town halls to do so. The law also
makes clear that water captured and stored in this way can only be used for watering gardens or flushing toilets.
