Desal delivers a supply boost to Barcelona

摘要

With reservoirs depleted and the summer of 2008 approaching, the region of Catalonia in north-east Spain had no option but to import water by ship to help meet its drinking water needs. In February of that year, the region's reservoirs held only 20% of the reserves needed for the 4.5 million inhabitants there, many of whom live in the city of Barcelona. Emergency restrictions were put in place and more than two million cubic metres of water was brought by boat over a three month period from Tarragona in Spain and Marseille in France. But today it is hoped that for Barcelona at least, such measures are a thing of the past, thanks largely to a major new desalination plant that came on stream earlier this year.