UK tourists in Spain risk £5,000 fines over little-known '200 litre' water rule

UK expats have been issued a £5,000 warning in one part of Spain after "ignoring" new rules. Spain waste and water company, Arcgisa, has slammed locals in Sotogrande in the south of Spain for failing to follow strict drought rules imposed until June.

Expats and locals have been accused of using automatic sprinklers to irrigate gardens and filling or refilling their swimming pools. Jose Manuel Alcantara, general director of Arcgisa, branded the behaviour as "unsupportive" adding it was "substantially" impacting the region.

He asked for "restraint" from users who were exceeding the maximum consumption of 200 litres per home per day. According to Olive Press, a newly voted-in ordinance could result in fines of up to 600,000 euros for those who ignore the rules.

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The publication reported: "The ordinance states, among other things, that in situations of exceptional drought, supplies may be cut off when 'excess consumption incompatible with the decreed savings or reductions' is detected."

“First, I would always seek to follow the advice that has been given by the place itself,” says Ben Lynam from sustainable travel charity the Travel Foundation. “They will better understand the situation than anyone else and will understand whether or not welcoming visitors is an appropriate thing to do.”

“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,” said Ben back in February, in the wake of the drought being confirmed. “It’s quite convenient for the tourism industry to see this as an externality, which they do,” Ben says.

“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?”