The Ministry of Sustainable Development and the Department for the Environment have issued a set of precautions to take during the current heatwave.
One of the measures to be taking is in relation to drinking water. The Department for the Environment recalls that the drought vigilance phase remains in force regarding drinking water. Whilst the rational use of drinking water has so far been successful, it is important to keep the measures in place considering that the period of drought and heat wave persists.
Regarding surface water, all the flows of our watercourses are well below the average of the minimum values of the last 10 years. Currently, critical minima for the survival of aquatic organisms are reached. Indeed, it is not only plants that lack water, but all the fauna and flora of the fluviatile environment are affected. With constant pressures and decreasing flows, the concentration of pollutant loads in water increases, as the dilution effect is less and therefore the quality of the water is significantly degraded. It follows that any additional water withdrawal becomes compromising for the survival of aquatic organisms.
Given the current severe low water level in the waterways, the Water Management Administration is calling on the population not to take water from surface water. This will not further compromise the survival of aquatic organisms and cause partially irreversible degradation of surface water quality. It should be stressed that in any case, water withdrawal is subject to authorisation and that during the low-water periods a water abstraction from surface water, even covered by an authorisation, is prohibited except in cases defined by ministerial orders.
