Costa del Sol, visited by several hundred thousand UK tourists every year, is one of the areas in Spain being affected by an acute water crisis sparked by a long-lasting drought.
Local governments around the country have taken steps to mitigate the effects of the drought and slash avoidable water consumption.
The Junta de Andalusia, which leads the southernmost region of Spain, approved a fourth drought decree at the end of January, which focused on reclaimed water to guarantee supply to the production sectors, allocated £185million (€217m) to projects aimed at recovering water and asked residents in the region to reduce water consumption as much as possible.
This decree, however, didn’t provide a clear-cut regulation on the use and filling of swimming pools – which in the popular province of Malaga alone are nearly 80,000.
While there is a loophole in the Andalusian decree when it comes to filling swimming pools, with the Junta saying the issue is to be dealt with by town councils, municipal ordinances are opting for a firmer restriction, leaving residents and potential holidaymakers in limbo.
Manuel Jiménez, president of the Malaga Association of Property Administrators, said: “Contradictory regulations are being issued. It is very difficult to advise communities.”
Warning this situation may lead to a clash between neighbourhoods and communities, he added: “We are not here to defend swimming pools. There are more and more tourists, more tropical crops, more population… We are aware that what is important is water for human consumption, but we ask for clarity.”
Among the measures circulating, Acosol, the water utility company of the western Costa del Sol encompassing municipalities including Marbella and Mijas, has put forward a proposal that would bar residents from “filling or refilling of private swimming pools” and “public showers and pumps”.
While the drought is one of the worst experienced in Spain in decades, Andalusia is so far trying to exclude the tourism sectors from some anti-drought measures.
Javier Hernández, executive vice-president of the Association of Costa del Sol Hoteliers (AEHCOS), said: “The decrees of the Junta can give rise to interpretation, but it is very clear that it is forbidden [by the decrees] to fill private pools, and this is not the case with public pools, such as those in hotels. They can be open and they will stay that way.”
Hotels are also not affected by issues linked to the use of public showers at swimming pools.
While sanitary regulations in Spain dictate that public pools need to also be provided with working showers to be used by locals, hotels don’t need to abide by this rule as their clients can use the facilities in their rooms, Mr Hernández said.
This distinction between public and private pools may lead to tensions between residents, barred from finding relief from the heat, and hotel guests spared from water consumption regulations.
Arturo Bernal, councillor of Tourism within the Andalusian government, has made it clear that measures regarding the drought won’t impact tourists.
Spain’s El Diario news outlet reported it is estimated that the daily water expenditure per customer in hotels is three times that of residents.
The Costa del Sol witnessed in 2023 a record number of tourist arrivals, with the area welcoming 12.5 million visitors – a 15 percent increase compared to 2022. During the first eight months alone of last year, a total of 821,907 visitors from the UK stayed in hotels and apartments on the Costa del Sol.
