Maó, Menorca: groundwater hit 23% as figures queried

Maó on the Balearic island of Menorca faces questions over its water supply after groundwater fell as low as 23% — a record, according to PSIB MP Carol Marquès. The town and five other municipalities have had to impose water restrictions. On Tuesday, 3 November 2026, Marquès accused the Balearic government of failing to share enough information about the island’s underground water reserves.

A record low, then a rebound

Menorca’s water reserves fell to a record 33% in August, Marquès said. Groundwater in Maó reached drought-alert level, yet its reported reading then rose by 17 percentage points in three months. She questioned that change after a summer without rain and with high water use, while other groundwater reserves continued to fall.

Marquès asked whether January’s rain could account for the September figure, or whether salt water entering Maó’s underground water supply might explain the apparent recovery. She presented neither as an established cause.

Calls for newer water tests

Marquès said she had requested water analyses in writing since 2023 but had not received them. Juan Manuel Lafuente, the Balearic minister responsible for the sea and water cycle, directed her to the government website, she said. Its available water-quality results cover only 2013 to 2018. The PSIB’s Menorca branch wants current analyses and specific figures.

Lafuente said Balearic government staff compile the water-reserve data. He is due to explain the figures on Wednesday, which he described as full transparency. He also accused the political left of having done nothing about water problems during its earlier years in government.

Topics: Environment · Politics

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com