The dispute over water supply in the area around Vigo has flared up again. Mayor Abel Caballero reaffirmed on 28 August that Vigo was resolving immediate problems with pipelines and water supply in neighbouring municipalities such as Baiona, Moaña and Redondela. At the same time, he rejected the accusation that the city regards water as “exclusive property”. The background is criticism from the regional government’s environment minister, Ángeles Vázquez, that Vigo is appropriating resources and failing to meet its financial obligations to the water authority Augas de Galicia .
Two positions are colliding in the dispute: the city administration emphasises its operational role in dealing with disruptions to the region’s connected water system, which supplies, among other things, the reservoirs at Eiras and Zamáns . The Xunta de Galicia counters that the infrastructure is governed at intermunicipal and higher levels; responsibility and costs must be shared. Also disputed is a claim of millions of euros against the Concello de Vigo cited by the Xunta. Caballero says the notice has been challenged; the case is before the administrative courts and there is no final ruling.
The regional government says it is monitoring Vigo’s security of supply through to the end of the year and accuses the city council of political confrontation. The city administration counters that a prolonged dry spell cannot be managed without additional capacity. Caballero has again raised the possibility of an additional reservoir on the Oitavén river as a long-term option. Meanwhile, the Xunta has repeatedly criticised Vigo’s high water losses in its network; the city council points to ongoing work and denies that the city bears any special responsibility for problems in neighbouring areas.
It is established that the metropolitan area’s water network is technically interconnected and involves both municipal and regional responsibilities. The competent courts will decide what financial consequences arise from the disputed claim; the timing and amounts remain open. Politically, however, positions are hardening: while Caballero highlights Vigo’s role as a guarantor for the surrounding area, the Xunta de Galicia calls for joint planning and cost-sharing.
In the short term, the regional government describes the situation as manageable. But in the coming months it remains unclear who will pay for investment and outages, and how scarce resources are to be allocated if drought persists. The debate over responsibilities, funding and infrastructure expansion is likely to continue, particularly as the legal dispute has yet to be resolved.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).