Despite well-filled reservoirs, there is a latent water shortage in the hinterland of the Costa del Sol. The first four municipalities in the province of Málaga must again limit the use of drinking water because they are not connected to the main grid and neighboring communities are unwilling to share resources.
Málaga – It seems absurd, and it is. Only in March, Andalusia experienced record rainfall, and the large water reservoirs – dams and rivers – are as full as they have been in a decade. Yet, by early June, the first municipalities in the hinterland of the Costa del Sol had to ration drinking water again. Affected are the towns of Humilladero, Alameda, Fuente de Piedra, and Mollina, impacting around 20,000 residents, including smaller agricultural businesses and famous, historic “cortijos” that usually do not belong to irrigation communities and do not enjoy tourism or industrial privileges.
For the citizens of these towns, located about 60 kilometers north of Málaga, the nightmare of tap water restrictions returns. This nightmare affected almost the entire Costa del Sol and large parts of the hinterland of Málaga, Córdoba, parts of Seville, Granada, and Almería in 2023 and 2024. In the Axarquía region around Torrox, Rincón de la Victoria, and especially in Vélez-Málaga with its coastal district Torre del Mar, tap water was cut off at night and for up to 12 hours daily until spring 2025. Always and everywhere exempt: hotels and other tourist establishments. In 2024, the regional government even prepared specifically for the worst-case scenario of importing drinking water by tankers, setting up several ports for this purpose. In 2025, even beach and foot showers are supposed to be reactivated on the Costa del Sol – the ultimate luxury.
First Towns in Málaga Province Running Out of Water
In June 2025, the province of Málaga has three times more drinking water reserves than a year ago. The reservoirs are, on average, 61.4 percent full, those in the neighboring province of Cádiz are 56 percent full, and in Seville, they are even at 87.2 percent (where the mighty Guadalquivir river also serves as a drinking water source). Nevertheless, since June 1, 2025, in Humilladero, Alameda, Fuente de Piedra, and Mollina, the following prohibitions apply until further notice: filling swimming pools of all kinds is forbidden, as is watering private gardens, hosing down facades or streets, washing cars, or “any other use of tap water that is not absolutely necessary.” In case of doubt, permission from the town halls must be obtained, and violations can be punished with fines of up to 3,000 euros and even criminal proceedings.
The “Ghost” of Drought Returns, Initially in Four Inland Málaga Towns: Why Is There No Water?
The four towns – Humilladero, Alameda, Fuente de Piedra, and Mollina – are all located in the Antequera region. Their drinking water networks are supplied almost exclusively by a network of smaller wells fed by groundwater and small streams, which only carry water immediately during and after rainfall. None of the towns are connected to a reservoir, even though the Embalse de Guadalhorce (where the famous Caminito del Rey is located) is less than 20 kilometers away and could even be connected via Bobadilla. The regional capital Antequera, 50 kilometers north of Málaga city, however, has no water problem, as the gigantic cave reservoirs in the Torcal mountains and the springs of the Río La Villa are brimming with water.
Antequera Refuses to Connect with Neighboring Municipalities
However, Antequera refuses to connect with its surrounding neighbors on the plateau, fearing that it would have to give up some of its precious water. When nearby Casabermeja, halfway to Málaga, could only be supplied by tankers last summer, which could have been resolved by a simple pipeline from Antequera, the mayor of Antequera merely shook his head in incomprehension, stating it was not his problem. The PP governs in Antequera, and for the “Puerto Seco,” a gigantic logistics park, two direct water pipelines were laid from Torcal (without consulting the citizens). For Casabermeja, where the left wing governs (if the town hall is even occupied), not a drop was provided. The dryness in Fuente de Piedra seems particularly absurd, as the town lies directly on Andalusia’s largest lagoon, 4 by 6 kilometers full of water and thousands of flamingos. But this is saltwater, a geological curiosity. Desalinating this water is not considered worthwhile, as water levels are too unstable, and the lagoon periodically dries up in late summer. Furthermore, it would destroy the valuable bird sanctuary.
Diversion from Reservoir and “Water Highway” Demanded
Hydrologists have a simple and plausible explanation for the water shortage in the wells of the four municipalities: the drought of the past five years in Andalusia was so long and intense that the groundwater level has not recovered even after a full month of continuous rain. The water simply seeps away; it would take several “very wet” years in a row for the water table to rise again to a level easily accessible by the communities. This is unlikely to happen. The water shortage will remain a permanent condition in the long term, not just due to sloppy planning. Experts now recommend connecting the currently dry towns to the Iznájar reservoir, but point out that more users would also mean less water for everyone. The regional government of Andalusia would be responsible for the diversion from there, but approval for the connection to the reservoir would also be needed from Madrid. There is no concrete project or even a timeline for this. In light of this, Andalusia’s olive oil industry is calling for a “water highway” that would lead from the treatment plants on the Costa del Sol, filled by tourist masses, up to the olive groves near Antequera, to guarantee olive oil production with treated water. The cooperative group DCOOP estimates the investment at around 700 million euros, with the state expected to contribute. However, there is no mention of connecting the communities currently isolated from drinking water.
