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Golf Courses in Mallorca to use desalinated water

Lifted ban means golf courses in Mallorca can water fairways with drinking water

featured in News & reviews Author James Fisher, Mallorca Video Reporter Updated

The government in Mallorca has lifted the ban restricting the use of desalinated sea water on golf courses in Mallorca. In an attempt to make the desalination plants in Alcudia and Andratx profitable they will now be allowed to sell drinking water for irrigation.

Since 2008 it has been illegal for golf courses to use the water from the desalination plants for watering the greens but the water plants run at a cost of €7million a year and for most of the year two of the three plants on the island are not profitable. The plan is to sell water to the golf courses for irrigation at an increased price. The municipality of Pollenca currently pays 89c per cubic metre for their water but the golf courses will be charged €1 for the same amount.

In the past the golf courses have only been allowed to use water from the sewage treatment plants but many of the courses refused this offer as they felt the water was not clean enough. The plan is that the plants in Andratx and Alcudia, which have never fulfilled their potential as producers of drinking water, will be allowed to produce water for the golf courses but not the plant in Palma which will continue to produce water for the city.

Mallorca's golf courses bring in a huge amount of tourist business each year visit our Golf Courses in Mallorca page for more details.