WATER IN THE CANARY

ISLANDS

We are here

Where is our island situated

In the Canary Islands there is shortage of water due to the lack of rain. The water is obtained from the inside of the Earth and little raining.

Lanzarote and Fuerteventura are the islands where it does not rain much, because they are the driest and the less mountainous. The Western islands are greener and , for that reason, there is more rain production.

Living on an island

In the Canary Islands there are no rivers because it rains very little and the Islands are mountainous. There are ravines, which are dug into the soil by water streams. When it rains the water snakes through the ravines at high speed, from the peaks down to the sea.

Ravines

Drinking waterWith few rivers or sources of fresh water on the

islands, getting clean drinking water has always been a problem. It can be extracted from mountain springs, and taste excellent, or provided by desalination plants, in which case it is not so good.

Otherwise, it is the man who digs into the earth to find water. There are different ways:

Well: vertical drilling that is done on soil to reach to the water reservoir.

How do we get the water from aquifers?

• Gallery: It is a kind of mine or tunnel dug into the soil to find water or an aquifer.

Water is storedIn the fields of our islands we can see many

ponds. Farmers store water in them and then use it to irrigate their lands. The well water is stored in tanks and dams or reservoirs.

Other forms of exploration that are commonly used in the eastern islands are:

The “gavias”: orchards located at the bottom of the ravines which get filled with rainwater that is used for planting.

Other use of water

The average expenditure per person in the Canaries• The average expenditure per person on the

islands reached 149 liters of water per person per day, below the national average, which is 167 liters, which puts the Canaries between communities with lower spending per person.

Due to population increasing and aquifer levels decreasing, it was necessary to search for alternative methods, artificial ones, to ensure water supply.

These alternative methods are called industrial water, which come from the depuration of waste water, sea water desalination and subterranean-water treatment. The processed water is used for harvest irrigation and desalinated water is used for home utilization.

Alternative methods of water

There are different ways for water renovation in the Canaries:

Sea water desalination: is to spread the sea-water salt. Getting a proper water quality for agricultural use as much as for human consumption. All water desalination processes may include two large groups, depending on the methods used to separate the salt water:

The Desalination

Distillation systems: Heated water, evaporating it and then in a new phase condensing water steam.

Distillation systems

Wastewater treatment: It consists in cleaning up water through chemicals products, to achieve a quality that almost makes it drinkable. Used for agriculture, irrigation of many parks and gardens, and golf courses.

Wastewater treatment

Subterranean water treatment: It consists in cleaning up water that has been extracted from wells and galleries, whose salt levels has increased.

Subterranean water treatment

The distribution network

The water is taken from the deposits to consumers through a network of distribution. The distribution network is made up of irrigation channels and pipes. A large amount of water is lost due to deficiency in the distribution network.

Counters measure the water passing through them. This measurement is necessary for the collection of the amounts of water consumed.

Well this is a little of what our island has to offer, I hope you

have liked it.Thanks a lot