In an unprecedented show of unity, 22 municipalities from Montseny and Vall del Llémena have approved a motion to regulate the bottled water business. Currently, companies in the sector operate under the 1973 Mining Law, a Franco-era regulation that allows long-term water extraction without strict environmental oversight.
“"The population began to suffer restrictions, while trucks loaded with bottled water continued to leave via the Arbúcies road."
Official data from 2023 shows that bottling companies extracted over 1,792 million liters of water in Catalonia. However, environmental groups denounce the lack of public sensors from the Catalan Water Agency (ACA) to monitor aquifers, as most detectors are owned by the companies themselves.
“"We are the first ones interested in not exhausting the aquifers."
The Mayor of Sant Martí de Llémena, Dolors Navarro, highlighted that the pressure is not only environmental but also logistical due to heavy truck traffic. Municipalities such as Arbúcies, Viladrau, and Sant Celoni have joined this historic request to protect water resources.
