Balearic Islands Pump 22 Billion Extra Litres From Aquifers Amid Urban Boom

An environmental coalition has warned that the Balearic Islands are facing a critical water crisis, driven by what it calls “chronic overexploitation” of underground aquifers. The group, Alianza por el Agua, says urban growth and rural housing are draining reserves faster than nature can replenish them. The islands’ water reserves stood at just 39% capacity in July, down six points from the previous month. Mallorca registered 39%, Menorca 34%, and Ibiza 42%, according to regional government data released on Saturday. The coalition is calling for the reversal of a so-called “omnibus law” that allows town councils to approve urban development plans without prior water availability checks. Spokesman Rafael Tur stated that unlimited construction is the root cause of the aquifer depletion, worsened by the recent legislation. New data shows all four islands are exceeding their legal water extraction limits. Formentera leads with a 70.8% overrun, followed by Menorca at 35.5%, Ibiza at 15.4%, and Mallorca at 8.5%. This means the water systems “cannot rest,” the coalition warned. On Mallorca, public supply accounts for 55.6% of all groundwater extraction, while scattered rural properties add another 22.4%. Together, these uses consume over three-quarters of the island’s extracted water. Meanwhile, agricultural use has fallen by 25.9%, with the freed-up water going to housing and urban supply instead. The coalition also points to underused desalination plants and significant network leakages as contributing factors. On Menorca, extraction exceeds assigned limits across its three main water bodies, and usage patterns mirror Mallorca’s but are even more pronounced. The Pitiusas islands—Ibiza and Formentera—show the most widespread overexploitation. Twelve of their 16 water bodies exceed their quotas, concentrating 78% of total extraction. Rural housing consumption has surged 62.5%, now representing over a third of all water drawn. Unlike the other islands, Ibiza’s desalination plants are already running at 95.7% of annual capacity, leaving no room for additional pressure. The coalition urges faster renewal of supply networks to cut losses, maximizing existing desalination before building new plants, investing in sanitation for water reuse, and tightening control over extraction permits in rural areas to ensure water goes to farming.