FROM THE BEACH OF LLORET TO MALLORCA’S SWIMMING POOLS

While pools are only one aspect, they are a highly visible one, which can perhaps make pools something of a scapegoat

IN September 1855, an operetta by Emilio Arrieta with libretto by Francisco Camprodón premiered in Madrid. Its title was ‘Marina'. Camprodón, a wellknown figure in the Spanish theatrical and literary scene of the mid-nineteenth century as well as a some-time politician, was from Vic in Catalonia. His home town was therefore relatively close to a place on the coast (the Costa Brava) which was to become one of the principal centres for the tourism boom of the 1960s Lloret de Mar.

One hundred or so years before the boom, Lloret was acquiring a chic name for itself. The popularity owed a great deal to ‘Marina' and to Camprodón. A successful production, it provided one of the most famous lyrical references of the time - ‘Playa de Lloret'. So much so that the beach of Lloret became a publicity slogan.

While thousands holidaymakers now flock to Ll oret's famous beach, there are many who prefer a hotel pool. In Lloret, however, there is an issue with water. The drought conditions in parts of Catalonia have led to a ban on the filling of pools. The resort's hoteliers, aghast at the prospect of pools either being empty or low, have hit on a solution. They've turned their eyes to that famous beach and to what is right next to it, the Mediterranean. They are investing 1.5 million euros in a desalination plant to be used exclusively for the filling of pools. Over one hundred companies have signed up, and the Lloret plant will also serve neighbouring Tossa de Mar.

The scheme in Lloret bypasses the prohibition and will also provide a facility for the future. If climate change is going to mean prolonged spells of drought, then it will be a necessity in order to cool down holidaymakers as the temperatures rise ever higher. It also has an advantage in that it can deflect criticisms regarding the use of water going forward. While desalination comes at a cost, the

price will be considered worth paying, and if the price is ultimately passed on, then it will join other factors likely to push the price of holidays up in the future - another key one will be air travel.

Could there be such a project in Mallorca? In theory there is no reason why not. There would of course be the interminable reports and procedures, there would be concerns about energy consumption, and there would almost inevitably be some lobbying against on the grounds that this is water to satisfy the needs of a mass of tourism.

But setting these issues aside, there may be some merit in considering a similar approach.

This said, Mallorca hasn't faced the same conditions as Catalonia. Water reserves haven't been anything like as low. And besides, isn't the amount of water needed for pools a drop in the ocean compared with all the other demands?

As far as El Clúster de la Indústria Quimica in the Balearics is concerned, it most certainly is a drop. This organisation of companies in the chemicals

industry has a clear interest in swimming pools. To coincide with World Water Day a couple of weeks ago, the cluster's views and observations were presented at a gathering in Palma. In the Balearics, it was estimated, there are some 75,700 pools. The cluster stated that, in general, pools consume very little water, less than 0.5% of total water consumption. As there has been talk of water restrictions in the Balearics, despite a healthier state of affairs than in Catalonia, it was argued that restrictions applied to pools would not have a significant positive impact.

When set against another cluster observation - a quarter of the total water used is in fact lost because of leaks in the network - the strain on water reserves from swimming pools does seem minimal. But then not everyone agrees with the observations. Take the University of the Balearic Islands' water resources and global change group, for example.

A geographer who is a member of this group, Enrique Morán, reckons there are more pools than the cluster estimates and also says that evaporation from pools is six times greater than what the cluster calculates. Going back to 2015, he notes,

the loss through evaporation from open pools was equivalent to five per cent of the total water consumption in urban areas in the Balearics. And there are now at least 13,000 more pools.

Morán argues that despite the number of pools, they still represent a luxury product, and so given the greater concerns regarding water reserves, there has to be consideration as to their sustainability.

The use of water is an issue that feeds into the whole discussion about overtourism. While pools are only one aspect, they are a highly visible one, which can perhaps make pools something of a scapegoat. But rightly or wrongly, they are highlighted, especially in the Mallorcan countryside where a growth of rural tourism, holiday villas and luxury homes is perceived by some as an affront.

In Lloret, the famous beach has indirectly provided what may be a solution. Mallorca has its famous beaches, and Mallorca also has a lot of sea.