This week, the Catalan government (Generalitat) requested increased funding from the European Commission (EC) – through the Next Generation EU and ERDF funds – to boost the construction of three new desalination plants in Catalonia. The government conveyed its request to Claudia Olazábal, head of the EC's Sustainable Water Resources Management Unit, during a visit to Barcelona. The government justified the request by citing the need to bolster water availability and reduce dependence on rainfall after a historic drought. While this drought currently seems distant given the levels of water reserves in reservoirs and internal basins (92%), it led Catalonia to a critical situation in 2023. The Commission issued a warning to the Generalitat: more desalination plants are welcome, but only if they are part of a broader and more comprehensive plan for managing water supply and demand. And only if all other necessary steps are taken.

On World Water Day, the United Nations explores the connection between water and gender in water resource management as a key element for ensuring equitable and sustainable access. Veolia's commitment to this goal is unwavering: to guarantee that everyone has access to water by investing in innovative solutions and fostering partnerships.

The extraordinary rainfall of recent months has filled most of Catalonia's reservoirs to their maximum capacity. The latest to reach full capacity is the Guiamets reservoir in the Priorat region. This is newsworthy because it's only the second time it has reached 100% capacity since 1978, when official records began. The first time was in May 2004, 22 years ago. This is confirmed by data from the Ebro River Basin Authority (CHE) provided to ARA by the Baix Priorat irrigation community. It's worth noting that at the beginning of December, this reservoir was only at 4% capacity, and for much of the autumn it remained at 1%. Therefore, it has gone from being empty to overflowing in just three months.

Catalan households allocate 43.5 out of every 100 euros of their income to basic expenses, such as housing, groceries, and energy consumption (electricity, water, and fuel). This amount, which represents an average of 1,342 euros per month, is part of the third Planeta Propietario Barometer. The analysis, prepared by the Mutual Association of Property Owners, reveals the highest figure since the study began. It shows that household bills, which consume a significant portion of the minimum wage (SMI) – €1,184 per month last year – mean that 3 out of 10 Catalans have difficulty paying for these basic expenses. Households where the family depends on a single minimum wage earner must allocate more than their entire net income to basic expenses, leaving no room for savings or unexpected costs. However, Catalonia is not the autonomous community where basic expenses consume the largest share of income. Ahead of them are the Balearic Islands, with 50.1%, Andalusia (49%), the Canary Islands (47.9%), and the Community of Madrid (46.2%), according to the same study, based on interviews and questions posed to 2,339 men and women over 18 years of age, distributed across autonomous communities according to their weight in the total. Housing, which limits rents in high-demand areas, is a key factor.

Traditional Catalan is most evident in Lleida. It has almost never rained so much. The region has experienced an unusual winter. According to Aemet, the accumulated rainfall in Lleida since December 1st reached almost 200 mm, an amount four times the historical average. Almost the entire ground in Ponent is saturated with water, and all the reservoirs in the Ebro basin are technically full. The Ebro River Basin Authority (CHE) has estimated a total of 280 hm³ for this year.³ More water will come from snowmelt, an absolutely enormous amount compared to the amount recorded in 2023, which, due to high temperatures and evaporation, was reduced to only 20 hm³.³The water situation is not only good, but even exceeds what is desirable. Many recently planted cereal fields have been damaged by excessive moisture, and most farmers in the Pla de Lleida region do not plan to irrigate in the short term, despite the need to release water from the reservoirs for safety reasons. The water flows downstream, benefiting the sediments of the Ebro Delta. On March 8, the Urgell Canal irrigation community will hold a meeting to plan the next season and establish initial irrigation schedules, although the exact start date remains uncertain. "We are always dependent on the weather, whether it rains or not," admit technical sources from the community.

According to the OECD and Cornell University, for every 100-word text or each conversation with between 10 and 40 prompts (Instructions), up to 0.5 liters of fresh water are consumed, or the equivalent of 14 LED bulbs turned on for one hour.

The rains and strong winds of recent weeks in the Camp de Tarragona region have left the impression that the exceptional is becoming the norm. The Riudecanyes reservoir is the best example of this: in just one year, it has gone from being practically empty (1.6% at the end of October 2024) to nearly 100% capacity, which has even required additional spending. The Camp de Tarragona is building up reserves, but uncertainty is growing in the face of an increasingly unpredictable climate. This seemingly atypical scenario points to a new normal marked by extremes.

A major paradox in a Mediterranean country like ours is that private companies hold concessions to extract mineral water, which they then bottle, sell, and even export, paying a negligible fee (21 cents per thousand liters bottled). Furthermore, in emergency drought situations, bottling companies face no legal limitations on the amount of water they can extract. This situation is legally sanctioned because water extraction falls under the 1973 Mining Law, a pre-constitutional law that remains in force and treats water as a mineral, thus excluding it from the standard water management system. Fortunately, in Catalonia there are municipalities aware of this absurdity that, while it continues to rain, have approved a motion in their municipal councils to modify the mining law with the aim of ensuring that all inland water bodies, including the aquifers that extract water, are not covered by legal protections – and are instead subject to corresponding river basin management plans. Because they are considered mining operations, these water extractions are legally disconnected from the hydrological cycle, something that directly contradicts the scientific and integrated approach promoted by the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC), which integrates all inland waters within a single legal framework.

Correction by the Martorell City Council government. Last November, the executive formed by Junts and the PSC approved the prohibition of filling jugs with water from the municipality's public fountains To prevent residents without access to tap water at home from taking it for domestic use, the city government, led by council member Xavier Fonollosa, has decided to scale back the measure. Now, following criticism from social organizations and the opposition, as well as intervention from the ombudsperson, Esther Giménez-Salinas, the city council will only fine those who take more than 25 liters of water from municipal fountains. The municipal government will bring a modification to the ordinance prohibiting filling water jugs at public fountains to the plenary session in February. The original text was open for public comment for 30 business days, during which some twenty organizations—including Cáritas, Raíces Fundación, ECAS, Fundación Ficat, and the Human Rights Commission of the Barcelona Bar Association—submitted objections requesting the withdrawal of the measure, arguing that the use of public fountains violates a human right.

The Agbar brand, born from the company founded 158 years ago, has its days numbered. Specifically, it has six months left. Veolia, the French multinational that owns it, has decided to unify the entire group and its activities under a single brand. The change affects more than 100 local brands.

The water that surrounds us—the water we drink, the water in the oceans, and even the water that makes up our bodies—is older than our planet. In fact, some of that water existed before the Sun began to shine. We often say we are stardust, but we are also cosmic water.

The drinking water tariff will increase in 2026 by 2.9% (approximately €0.40/month) in the 23 municipalities of the Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB) supplied by the metropolitan public-private company Aigües de Barcelona, and between 2.9% and 5.8% in the six municipalities where the supply is provided by the company itself. The remaining tariff conditions, such as consumption blocks and the social tariff, will remain the same as in 2025. The AMB, which approved this increase at its November metropolitan council meeting, explained that the updated tariffs reflect the approximately 7% that users pay for the purchase of this water (at the wholesale level) from Aigües Ter-Llobregat in the metropolitan area. Three other factors also influence the increase in the final tariff: a €0.5 million increase in an investment fund to carry out works resulting from the drought period—reaching a total of €8 million—various actions in the commercial cycle, and the increase in inflation.

Population growth, rapid urbanization, and the need for more resilient infrastructure in the face of climate change are some of the global challenges that highlight the importance of commemorating World Toilet Day every November 19th. This day, promoted by the United Nations, aims to raise awareness about a service essential for health and the environment. The lack of adequate sanitation causes environmental pollution from wastewater and poses a serious threat to almost half of the world's population, who still lack access to these basic services, according to data collected in 2025 by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF. In Catalonia, the combination of prolonged droughts and torrential rains—increasingly frequent phenomena due to global warming—tests the capacity and resilience of infrastructure related to the water cycle. Although Spain has high standards in urban water services, three key challenges remain: wastewater collection and treatment, regeneration, and investment in facilities prepared to face the climate emergency.

After three years of severe drought, Catalonia is breathing a sigh of relief. Reservoirs have recovered their levelsRestrictions have been relaxed and the emergency is no longer imminent. The Water Observatory of Catalonia—comprising the professional associations of civil engineers, agricultural engineers, industrial engineers, and economists—welcomes the government's progress in preparing water infrastructure for future emergencies, but on Thursday it reiterated its flagship proposal: the interconnection of water networks on both sides of the country, from the Ebro River to industrial areas and the Muga River, for redistribution. According to its proponents, the Catalan government "is already aware" of this plan. The project, known as the water corridor, is based on creating a flexible, bidirectional network that allows for a rapid response to water emergencies. "It's about having a flexible network, supplying water when needed to the areas that require it," explains Pere Calvet, dean of the College of Civil Engineers (CECCP). In short, this is not a system of fixed water volume transfers, but rather a mechanism for timely and reversible support throughout the territory. In fact, the Observatory prioritizes three actions that should serve as the backbone of the future Catalan water corridor. The connection between the Tarragona Water Consortium (CAT) and the Aigües Ter-Llobregat (ATLL) system is based on an interconnected water corridor model, with a proposed maximum flow rate of 1.5 m³/s. This connection would hinge on the development of the Cunit desalination plant—which would reinforce the supply to the southern part of the Barcelona Metropolitan Area—and reduce dependence on the Ebro River in the Tarragona region. The second proposed connection is what they call the northern branch, which should guarantee the water supply for the Girona, Fluvià, and Muga regions, which are more prone to the effects of future droughts according to projections from the Meteorological Service of Catalonia. In drought episodes, like last year and the year before, the Sau-Susqueda-Pasteral system can reach critically low levels, and there is no alternative source of drinking water. The Observatory's proposal would be to connect these basins with the rest of the Catalan system, ensuring a continuous supply. These two projects would cost around 600 million euros. The organization is optimistic and indicates that once these two axes are consolidated, they will consider leveraging the modernization of the Urgell canal to establish a link with Lleida. This third connection, which they emphasize is still under study, would allow the use of surplus water or irrigation water from Lleida's lands as a strategic emergency reserve for areas of the country at risk of drought. As with the other interconnections, they insist that it would not imply "any permanent water transfer," but rather would be a one-off mechanism to "strengthen water solidarity between territories."

The residents of Roses have gone 24 hours without using their tap water normally. If they want to drink it or use it to prepare food, they must first boil it. This is what the City Council has recommended after detecting a large amount of organic matter. The council emphasizes that the contamination detected does not pose an immediate "danger" to people's health, but asks that the instructions provided by the Department of Health be followed as a precaution. The situation, however, could last a few weeks.

The arrival of summer is inseparable from an unwelcome companion: sweat. With the heat, our body temperature rises, and to lower it, our glands secrete a fluid we call "sweat." To compensate for fluid loss and prevent dehydration, specialists recommend drinking more water. But how can we know if we're consuming enough?

This summer, protect yourself with the ABCs of heat: Air, Drink, and Home. Air (when outdoors, seek shade, seek shelter, and avoid the sun's rays), Drink (you should hydrate often, even if you're not thirsty), and Home (stay home if it's too hot and monitor the temperature).

For the first time in a century, Parisians can once again bathe in the Seine. The French capital took advantage of last year's Olympic Games to change residents' relationship with their river. In Bern, the river is a highway for people to let loose and go to the Swiss capital's large swimming pool area. This also happens, to a lesser extent, in the urban area of Girona, where from the Glory and the coronavirus has completely changed the relationship with the Ter.

After 24 hours of intense searching, the Generalitat Firefighters have decided to raise the device to find the two people allegedly missing The search began on Saturday night in Cubelles, in the Garraf region, due to heavy downpours. Emergency services have confirmed that they do not plan to resume rescue efforts until new evidence emerges.

Font Vella, one of the best-selling bottled water brands in Spain, is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year with changes to its bottle model and an increase in investment in circularity, according to the company itself. The brand, which has its main plant in Sant Hilari Sacalm (Selva), has been owned by the French multinational food company Danone since 1994.