2005 - 2006 - Pinsent Masons Water Yearbook 2012

SPAIN PART 2: COUNTRY ANALYSIS
Urban sewage treatment
Population served 1975 1980 1990 2000 2002
Tertiary treatment 0% 0% 4% 15% 26%
Secondary treatment 7% 16% 38% 65% 62%
Primary treatment 7% 13% 11% 8% 1%
None 86% 71% 47% 12% 11%
The proportion of Spain’s population connected to sewerage services increased from 18% in 1980 to
86% in 2000. The National Sewerage and Wastewater Plan, 1995-05, budgeted €11.4 billion in
spending, with 25% coming from EU grants. The effect of this work can be seen in the improvement
of inland waters (physico-chemical quality):
River water quality 1995 2002
Good quality 52% 62%
Intermediate quality 40% 32%
Poor quality 8% 6%
In terms of ecological water quality, perhaps 30% of rivers were clean in 2002, and a further 30%
showed mild contamination. Approximately 20% was contaminated and the remaining 20% severely
contaminated, indicating that much will be needed in order to comply with the EU water framework
directive.
Urban services
% Water 97%
Consumption (L per day) 265
% Sewerage 95%
% Sewage treated 70%
Making a market for water
In 1997, Spain considered developing a water market to encourage external investment and open the
market up for more privatisation while restricting the role of the state. At the time, this was in response
to the drought of 1995 and 1996, thus the temporary respite offered in 1997 and 1998 eased political
pressure for reform. A further drought in 1999 has concentrated minds again. In September 1999,
Spain's parliamentary environment committee used fast-track procedures to approve new legislation
designed to improve water conservation. The reform creates a market in water with the aim of
rationalising the use of resources by allowing water rights to be bought and sold. In addition, the
legislation allows for the establishment of water banks, as seen in California, which will allow the
Spanish Government to redirect water resources to priority sectors of need. The law will also make
obligatory the metering of water used for irrigation and creates a regulatory framework for new waterconservation
schemes such as desalination and the use of grey water on parks and golf courses. At
the same time, the implementation of a national hydrological plan to provide a long-term solution to the
problem of Spain's scarce and unequally-distributed water remains as contentious as at any point over
the past decade.
Generally speaking, there is an inverse relationship between water scarcity and price. Many
municipally held entities in the water short regions of Southern Spain continue to provide water at a
loss. In Barcelona, the price of drinking water is Ptas211 per m 3 for water, compared with Ptas150 per
m 3 for the rest of Catalonia and a Spanish norm averaged at Ptas70 per m 3 .
187 Pinsent Masons Water Yearbook 2005 – 2006