Thanks to the rains that have dyed the city gray this March, Madrid has recorded an increase in the water reservoirs in the community. Today the reservoirs are at 85.47% of their capacity, reducing the chances of droughts in the short term.
El Atazar reservoir, the largest in the region – the dam’s supply represents 46% of the total volume of water impounded in the region, and is essential for supplying the community – has more than 358 cubic hectometers of water. If the rains continue, it could reach 100% of its capacity, which is 426 hm3.
In the El Pardo reservoir, with much less capacity (43 hm3), the same thing is happening. Here the increase of more than 50% of the water in the reservoir (from 14 hm3 to 36 hm3) in a matter of a week, since the heavy rains began, is striking.
Record rainfall in March
Madrid is experiencing the rainiest March in its recent history (and there are still eleven days to go). At 3:00 p.m. last Tuesday, the Retiro rain gauge registered 182.9 liters per square meter. At the same time that the figure was registered, the flow of the Manzanares increased to the point of almost overflowing.