UK holidaymakers in Spain could be hit with fines of up to £5,000 due to a little-known '200 litre' water rule. UK expats have been warned about the hefty fine in one part of Spain after "ignoring" new regulations.
Arcgisa, a Spanish waste and water company, has criticised locals in Sotogrande, southern Spain, for not adhering to strict drought rules in place until June.
The company has accused both expats and locals of using automatic sprinklers to water gardens and filling or topping up their swimming pools. Jose Manuel Alcantara, the general director of Arcgisa, labelled this behaviour as "unsupportive", stating it was having a "substantially" impact on the region, reports Birmingham Live.
Alcantara called for "restraint" from users who were exceeding the maximum consumption limit of 200 litres per home per day. According to Olive Press, a newly implemented ordinance could see those who ignore the rules slapped with fines of up to 600,000 euros.
Spain has been taking measures such as shutting off beach showers amidst the drought (Getty Images)Ben Lynam from sustainable travel charity the Travel Foundation advised: "First, I would always seek to follow the advice that has been given by the place itself. They will better understand the situation than anyone else and will understand whether or not welcoming visitors is an appropriate thing to do."
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"Have a considered think about the places that you're staying at and the activities that you're thinking about doing in that place. Be aware of that footprint that you're likely to have in a destination," Ben advised back in February, following the confirmation of the drought. "It's quite convenient for the tourism industry to see this as an externality, which they do," he added. "Very few companies feel like they need to take responsibility for any of these externalities because why would they if they're not being directly told to do it?"
The restrictions come as Spain has faced one of its worst droughts in 200 years. The region of Catalonia, including Barcelona, is suffering from severe water shortages, and emergency rules have been put in place, with pools being closed and other measures introduced.
Last month, demonstrations took place in Malaga as locals urged for Junta de Andalucia's drought rules to be relaxed, amidst fears that it could put tourists off summer holidays. This include the limit refills on private pools and garden watering, as well as authorities green-lighting swimming pools being filled up in public sports centres, health clubs, hotels and campsites ahead of the peak summer period.
In the Costa del Sol and Malaga city, local councils currently ban the use of drinking water to fill pools, meaning that raw water from wells or groundwater must be used instead, which then requires filtering in the pool, leading to closures ranging from 24 to 72 hours.
Meanwhile, Brits are also being warned to take heed of new Spain travel rules in place since Brexit, including a requirement to have at least €113.40 (£97) available for each day of their visit to the sun-drenched country. Spain is far from the only country to enforce such rules - which are designed to ensure tourists have enough money for their trip and to return to their country of origin at the end of their stay - with most EU countries having similar requirements in place.
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