Spain drought warning as popular holiday destination sees tourists 'queue for water'
dailyrecord.co.ukA major drought has hit a popular Spanish holiday destination, with reports that tourists are "queueing for water".Tap water has been left "undrinkable" in several towns along Spain’s Costa Blanca, the Independent reports, forcing both holidaymakers and locals to queue at distribution points for bottled water instead.As water levels in reservoirs have dropped, it has led to the remaining water becoming saltier.
This in turn has led to some local authorities in the area banning the drinking of the "salinated" tap water and declaring it unsafe to drink - or even cook with.
The water shortage has also reportedly forced town councils to ban activities such as filling swimming pools, or watering gardens and washing cars during the day.Reuters reports that over tourism and climate change are being blamed for the situation.
In the Marina Alta area, north of the provincial capital Alicante, as summer visitors flood in, water consumption soars to 19.67 billion litres in July from 2.3 billion litres in January.Alicante is hugely popular with Scottish tourists, as three direct flights a day leave from Glasgow, plus three more from Edinburgh and one from Aberdeen.
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