Spain to account for every drop of water

 

Spain has established a national registry to compile data on those who use publicly owned water, from wells and rivers to supplies derived from recycling or desalination.

The 42-page law published yesterday says it seeks to be "a fundamental tool to compile statistics on legally contracted supplies as well as to help manage the public water system."

The law takes on some of the regulatory tasks currently in the hands of regional hydrographic agencies and sets rules for fining abuse, such as illegal well-drilling or theft from rivers, a persistent issue in one of Western Europe's driest nations.

The value of damage to the public water system was defined as the "economic value of the goods illegally gotten," which must include the economic value of what's "extracted, damaged or destroyed." Rules also extend to illegal removal of trees.