Water restrictions in four Antequera municipalities due to aquifers' state

Water welfare

Alameda, Humilladero, Fuente de Piedra and Mollina have put irrigation, vehicle washing and swimming pool filling limits in place to prioritise essential needs

Julio J. Portabales

Neither the rains at the end of 2025 nor the series of storms in February 2026 have managed to fill some of the aquifers that supply several municipalities in Malaga's Antequera district.

The underground reserves remain in a "concerning" state, according to a joint statement the town halls of Alameda, Humilladero, Fuente de Piedra and Mollina have issued.

The four municipalities have announced their decision to adopt a series of restrictions aimed at "guaranteeing supply in the coming months", especially with the summer season approaching. The town halls attribute this to the several consecutive years of severe drought and low rainfall that the area has experienced.

The lack of rainfall in recent years has prevented underground water reserves from recovering sufficiently. "We still face a critical situation that requires the collaboration and responsibility of all residents," the joint statement reads, emphasising the need to preserve an essential resource like water.

Local councils have appealed to the entire population to take the necessary measures to ensure that "there is water for everyone".

Mayor of Fuente de Piedra Siro Pachón highlighted the need to "act responsibly" to avoid bigger problems during the summer.

Mayor of Mollina Eugenio Sevillano stated that it is "important to raise awareness among all residents about water conservation". Mayor of Alameda José García acknowledged that the situation "remains worrying" and appealed for resident cooperation.

Mayor of Humilladero Auxiliadora Gámez pledged: "We will continue working to find solutions that guarantee the supply."

Water restrictions

The four municipalities in Malaga province have agreed on a series of restrictions to try to alleviate the water problem in their respective areas. These measures, which came into effect on Wednesday, mainly affect non-essential use of water from the supply network.

Firstly, the town halls ban the use of mains water for irrigating gardens and allotments. This is one of the main measures to reduce demand and prioritise water for drinking needs. These restrictions also concern surface cleaning: building facades, sidewalks or washing private vehicles.

In addition, residents will not be able to use water from the municipal network to fill their private swimming pools.

The four town halls stated that these measures are "preventive in nature". However, they do not rule out adopting additional restrictions if changing water resources make it necessary.

"We are calling for the necessary measures to guarantee that there is water for everyone," they stated.

This is not the first time these four municipalities in Antequera have had to adopt restrictive measures due to water scarcity. They had to make a similar decision in June 2025 due to a lack of water resources.