Despite the rains we saw over recent days, the Segura basin entered a drought alert level at the beginning of September, for the first time this hydrological year, according to the scarcity indicators defined in the Special Drought Plan (PES) of the Hydrographic Confederation of Segura (CHS).
So, the basin organisation, if the containment of consumption is maintained, can guarantee water for irrigation and industrial uses until the end of September without the need to apply restrictions, says the CHS in a statement.
Regarding human supply, the CHS states that “in principle it should not be affected even in the coming months of the new hydrological year.”
Even so, the CHS once again emphasises the restraint in consumption by all users, in order to guarantee supply in this hydrological year to reach the end of it with an adequate volume of reserves.
The most intense rainfall episodes recently were concentrated above all in the headwaters of the Segura basin, although the entire basin has received some of the rains. In this sense, from 7:30 a.m. last Friday to 7:30 a.m. this Monday, the rain gauge located in the Albacete town of Riópar has recorded the amount of 70.7 Litres per square meter, according to data from the Automated Hydrological Information System (SAIH).
Other notable values are those of the Tus river (Albacete), with 45.9 Liters per square metre, and Don Domingo (Jaén), with 40.9 litres per square metre. Also noteworthy are the 32.5 in Cuestas del Cedacero (Murcia) and the 24.8 in the Torrealta WWTP (Alicante). The most intense day took place between Saturday and Sunday, in which only the Riópar rain gauge registered up to 55.5 litres per square metre.
Although the episode is beneficial, given its short duration, it is not estimated that it represents a significant increase in contributions and volumes, so the users of the basin must continue to make an adjusted consumption in order to end the hydrological year with a volume of reserves that allows meeting the demands while waiting for the rains that may occur in the autumn.
